It’s no surprise that bad breath can be repelling. A person with the most charismatic personality and a beautiful mind can be revolting if he/she has a bad breath. However, there are ways you can fight the problem of bad breath easily by following a few steps or tips to freshen breath naturally.
1. Improve Your Brushing Technique
Sometimes we don’t brush the right way, or we don’t brush enough. Either way, it is important to fix these issues. Twice a day is what the dentists recommend; and they are right. The plaque that builds on your teeth has bacteria in it. The bacteria feeds off the food particles in your mouth and release acid. This makes your mouth smelly.
The trick is not to brush harder (brushing too hard can damage your enamel), but to brush carefully. Make sure the brush reaches all parts of your oral cavity including the teeth at the back of your mouth, and their sides. Use a smaller tooth brush if necessary, but make sure the part where your gums and teeth meet is also cleaned properly. Often these are the areas where a dental cavity forms; as seen in the clinics.
2. Floss
As boring and unnecessary as it might sound, flossing is extremely important. A lot of bacteria accumulates in the spaces between our teeth and the tooth brush doesn’t reach there, hence causing bad breathe and cavities. You can make a salt-water mouth wash to rinse your mouth. Add a pinch salt to a cup of lukewarm water and floss your mouth with this solution. This is also effective for gum protection.
3. Cardamom
Cardamom is used in the subcontinent as a breath freshener for centuries! However these tips tend to slip our mind at times. Keep some cardamom in a small box in your dining room. It is always good to pop one in your mouth after eating meals. It is natural and refreshing.
4. Fennel
Fennel is often eaten for better digestion. However it comes with an extra benefit of acting as a breath freshener. Having fennel 3 times a day will keep your mouth fresh; which in turn would keep you in a fresh mood all day.
5. Lemon Power!
Yes the thought itself sends a trickle down your spine. However, this method helps beat bad breath. Take a lemon wedge, sprinkle salt on it, and bite down- oh yeah!
6. Too Little Carbs
Carbs have their disadvantages- a whole lot of them; but that doesn’t mean you completely cut them out of your life. It is important to eat some carbohydrate foods every day. If you don’t eat carbs, your body utilizes fats in your body, which in turn produces ketones. Ketones can make your breath smell bad.
If after using these methods your breath continues to smell bad, you should consult a dentist or a physician. There can be deeper underlying causes for having a bad breath. Gastric problems for instance make the breath foul smelling. Other reasons could be lack of saliva. Problems such as diabetes or anemia can cause xerostomia (dryness of mouth); and a dry mouth leads to bad smell and more bacteria in the mouth. If there is a systemic reason which causes a bad breath then it is important to treat it, as it can sometimes be very harmful for your health if left untreated.
Therefore it is important to take care of the details of your body, including the smell of your breath!
