Is your bad breath keeping you from socializing?
Follow these tips for a fresh mouth.
Up to 50% of adults will suffer from bad breath at some point in their lives. For some the malady is occasional or temporary; for others, it is an ongoing issue and embarrassing battle. Bad breath, or halitosis, may be a result of many underlying issues, including oral hygiene and gastro intestinal health. This means that bad breath not only comes from your mouth but from your digestive tract as well, with bacteria being the main cause.
Making sure you eat a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, and drinking plenty of water, is one way to keep your GI tract healthy. Brushing and flossing regularly after each meal ensures a clean oral environment and lowers the chance of plaque build up and food entrapment.
How to fight bad breath
These common remedies can help minimise and prevent bad breath.
- Herbs: It’s long been known that eating parsley will get rid of oral odour. Along with parsley, you can also eat coriander, spearmint, tarragon, eucalyptus, rosemary and cardamom. These herbs can either be ingested or steeped and savoured as a tea.
- Active cultures: A daily serving of yogurt containing live active cultures reduces the level of hydrogen sulphide in the mouth.
- Crunchy foods: Fibre rich fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots and celery are great. When you eat these foods, saliva production increases, keeping the mouth moist.
- Sugarless gum: Chewing gum should not replace your brushing and flossing routine. Gum will mask the odor but only briefly. If you choose gum then go for the sugarless variety until you are able to brush.
- Vitamin C: Berries, citrus fruits, melons and other foods rich in vitamin C are perfect options for inhibiting bacteria growth in your mouth. Gum disease and gingivitis can also cause bad breath. Consuming foods rich in vitamin C can help prevent the progression of this oral disease.
Maintaining good oral hygiene, a healthy diet and visiting your dentist regularly can help in your quest for fresh breath.If you suffer from halitosis and the above remedies are not helping, don’t be embarrassed. Call Winston Churchill Dental for a professional approach and therapy program. Dr. Kate Bazydlo & Associates can help you achieve a healthy mouth and get you back into the social scene!
Dr. Kate Bazydlo, Winston Churchill Dental