The most unfortunate part of having a bad breath is that you’re usually the last person to know about it. If you’re lucky, your mom might warn you before it’s too late. But otherwise, even with the sharpest suit you own and the fanciest pair of shoes, making a good impression might not be on the cards for you.
So to avoid the process of emanating funky fumes in the first place, you must discover the reason for bad breath, and accordingly pick a remedy to get rid of it.
Bad Oral Hygiene = Bad Breath
Poor oral hygiene is the most common reason for bad breath. To stop the smell, you must prevent the plaque buildup by brushing your teeth twice a day (morning and night) for at least two minutes.
Some people even choose to brush after every meal. To prevent the bacteria growing on the bits of food stuck in your teeth, floss every day. As bacteria accumulated on the tongue can cause foul smell as well, you must scrape your tongue once a day.
Solution: Apart from maintaining good oral hygiene by cleaning your teeth, tongue and gums, you can try a vinegar-based, homemade mouthwash. The natural acetic acid present in vinegar can stop bacteria from growing.
Add 2 tablespoons of white or apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water. Gargle for 30 seconds before spitting it out.
Eating Foods With Strong Odour
Foods and drinks with strong flavour like garlic, onion, coffee and some spices can cause a foul smell. This unpleasant breath lingers in your mouth even after the food has moved into the system. It further leads to a release of chemicals that we breathe out through the lungs.
Solution: Scrape your tongue, floss and use a mouthwash to conceal the smell temporarily. You can drink a glass of milk to see some positive results.
If you are lactose intolerant or prefer fruits in your diet, you can also drink a glass of pineapple juice or chew a slice of this fruit for one to two minutes and rinse your mouth after. It’s the quickest and one of the most effective ways to deal with bad breath.
Too Much Drinking & Smoking
Smoking leads to the reduction of oxygen and hence, builds up more plaque and bacteria which are responsible for foul breath.
Similarly, when you ingest alcohol, the body recognises the fluid as a toxin. Your body does its best to metabolise it as quickly as possible. But if you keep consuming booze at a faster rate than your organs can handle, the alcohol will end up floating around in your body. The alcohol will pass from your stomach to the blood and with each breath, it’ll begin to vaporise. This is when bad breath will find a way out of your mouth mid-conversation.
Solution: Given that you might not consider flossing in the middle of the night, the only piece of advice here would be to sip more water …..
