Bad Breath Remedies

If you are one of the unlucky people dealing with bad breath then you know that it can affect not only your self esteem and confidence, but also your relationships both personal and at work, so this article will go over how to get rid of bad breath.

Obviously knowing the cause of your halitosis is the most important factor because it could be from a number of reasons including poor dental hygiene, tooth or gum problems or it might not even be caused by your mouth at all and be a gas produced from your stomach or intestine.

However since the most common reason for halitosis is bacteria in your mouth, let’s address that first.

While everyone has bacteria in their mouths, sometimes they can grow in numbers and cause a real problem. The reason is that they eat any food particles left in your mouth and then release a sulfur gas that smells very similar to rotten eggs.

To get rid of the bacteria you need to be vigilant with your dental care and brush your teeth after every meal, use a mouthwash and floss regularly. You can also get a tongue scraper that removes bacteria from your tongue which helps immensely in fighting bad breath.

Many people have success brushing occasionally with baking soda as they is not only great for cleaning teeth (although it can be abrasive on gums so don’t do it too often) but is also beneficial for reducing the acidity level in your mouth creating an environment that the bacteria can’t live in.

Diet has also been known to play a role in bad breath and many people find that by eating raw fruits and vegetables the enzymes in the food helps eliminate any bacteria and keep the mouth and gums clean and healthy. Yoghurt works the same way and a study from 2005 proved that eating yoghurt can eliminate as much as 80% of the bacteria in the mouth from eating just one regular sized tub per day.

There are many things you can do if you know how to get rid of bad breath and these are just some of them.

This article will look at some of the remedies that people use to help cure and eliminate bad breath.

Let’s start with Folk Remedies for curing your bad breath:

Baking Soda has long been used as a natural and inexpensive alternative to toothpaste. It can help reduce the acidity in your mouth which makes it hard for bacteria to grow there. Many people like to mix a bit of hydrogen peroxide with the baking soda to make a paste.

Hydrogen peroxide 3% strength can be used to rinse the mouth out instead of regular mouth wash. Always dilute it half water half hydrogen peroxide before swishing it in your mouth and don’t swallow.

Apple Cider Vinegar. Many people swear by taking a tablespoon of ACV before each meal. If you can stomach it, it can help aid your digestion.

Salt Water gargle is great for cleaning out any food particles at the back of your throat and salt is known as a natural disinfectant.

Now some Herbal remedies for curing bad breath:

Alfalfa tablets claim to help eliminate bad breath or you can make an Alfalfa tea by steeping two teaspoons of dried leaves in boiling water for around 10 minutes. Alfalfa is rich in chlorophyll which is known to feed on bacteria.

Anise the licorice flavored seed is known to kill the bacteria in your mouth. You just chew it to release its properties.

Cloves have been used for centuries for mouth related problems. It’s a powerful antiseptic. You can make a tea with it by putting 3 whole cloves or ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves in 2 cups of hot water and waiting around 20 minutes. The strain and use as a powerful mouthwash.

Chewing certain herbs such as mint, parsley and wintergreen help sweeten your breath and get rid of bad odors.

Of course you can always try the drug store and grocery store over the counter remedies, and if all else fails a trip to the dentist to determine your bad breath might be in order.

This article will look at the top four causes of bad breath and what you can do about it. Whether it is you or someone that you know, bad breath or halitosis as it is also known, is usually caused by bacteria in the mouth and can be embarrassing to all of those around the sufferer. But there are solutions to help cure bad breath and some of them are very simple.

Smoking

You’ve heard the saying that it’s not nice to kiss a smoker, and the reason is that their breath smells of nicotine and tar (and often even tastes like it too – yuk!). Obviously the solution in this case would be to give up cigarettes altogether which can be done with aids like nicotine patches, but if the smoker isn’t prepared to give up their habit then rinsing their mouth or chewing on gum can help remove the odour.

Dry Mouth

If you are not producing enough saliva then bacteria isn’t being washed away and can often multiply in the mouth and take home between the teeth and gums. Dry mouth (or xerostomia) is usually caused by aging or dehydration. If this is the cause of your bad breath then increasing your fluid intake is likely to correct the problem. If your dry mouth is caused by illness or disease then your doctor can prescribe a saliva like supplement that you can take as well.

Food

Certain foods such as garlic and seafood can cause bad breath as the odour of the food will linger in the mouth or gut. Usually the cure is just to rinse your mouth with mouthwash or brush and floss after each meal. Chewing on mint or parsley is also beneficial. Certain high protein diets such as the Atkins diet has also be known to cause smelly breath as well as bacteria loves to feed on protein and dairy and can produce more sulphur compounds as a result.

Tooth Decay

If you have tooth decay or gum disease this is often a cause of halitosis as the bacteria in the infection, along with the warm moist conditions of the mouth can cause the bacteria to multiply fast. Often the only solution is to visit your dentist or mouth care professional to help clear up your condition.

Of course there are many other causes for bad breath but these four are the most common and are usually the easiest to fix.