Bad Breath – winning the battle!
It’s one of those things. We’ve all been guilty of it at least once. And at the time, the embarrassment… well let’s just say we avoid confined spaces with others until we’re back at home with a toothbrush in hand, at all costs!
And it’s not necessarily caused through lack of cleaning, or a poor oral hygiene routine. Instead, more often than not, bad breath is caused by that extra cup of coffee we had at breakfast, that tuna sandwich we had at lunch (and they said tuna was good for us!), or that extra garlicky curry we ate for dinner.
Saying that, regardless of what causes bad breath the outcome is the same. Embarrassment and dread. So if the dreaded bad breathe does catch us out, what can we do to stop us from running to the nearest exit and avoiding human contact at all cost?
Well we’ve put together five handy tips that should help you avoid getting in that situation in the first place!
1. First the basics – 2:2
Because we can’t say this enough. It’s vital not just for the smell of your breath, but for your oral hygiene itself, that you brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once daily. Finally rinse with mouthwash to get rid of pieces of food that get stuck between your teeth and gums.
If this excess food is left then you can expect excessive build-up of plague. And it turn (you guessed it), this build-up of plague will inevitably cause bad breath.
2. Don’t forget your tongue
The tongue has the heaviest bacterial amount of any part of your mouth. Nevertheless many people don’t take the time to clean their tongue. There’s no surprise that overtime, if not cleaned properly, this bacteria can build-up to cause severe cases of bad breath.
Bonus tip – If possible try to use a separate toothbrush or a tongue scraper to lightly brush and clean your tongue. This avoids spreading any bacteria from your tongue to your teeth and gums.
3. Choose tea over coffee
By no means are we saying ditch the coffee completely. After all, morning coffee is a ritual in our house! We’re simply talking about moderation here. Any more than two or three cups of coffee in a row, especially without drinking water alongside, then you can expect bad breath.
With bad breath and coffee it’s not so much the smell of the coffee beans, more so the drink itself creates a favourable environment for oral bacterial growth.
Coffee also has a drying effect, which reduces saliva flow and allows foul-smelling bacteria to linger longer. Hence why it can be even worse without adequate water onboard.
4. Back to the tuna!
For many a good tuna sandwich is the perfect lunch option. Filling, healthy and packed with protein! However the fact of the matter is that it smells, as does all fish for that matter. And why do they smell? Without going to scientific, the smell comes from the fish’s tissues being exposed to air after they have been caught.
We don’t want you to ditch the tuna altogether but if you do go for that lunch option make sure your office draw is stocked with sugar-free gum to combat the inevitable. Or a spare tooth brush would be even better!
5. An apple a day keeps the dentist away
We already know that a build-up of bacteria in the mouth is a common cause for bad breath. And incorporating fruits and vegetables which are rich in fibre is one of the best ways to remove this bacteria from the mouth.
Our recommendation would be to eat at least one apple a day. Apples also help to moisten the mouth – which will also help with the inevitable coffee overdose!
And there you have it. Our five top tips on how to avoid the dreaded curse of bad breath! Try including these into your daily oral health regime and do let us know how these work for you and your family.
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If you have concerns about bad breath, and would like to discuss any of our dental treatment options with our oral health experts, please use our handy online booking form here.
Aesthetika Dental
