How to Get Rid of Bad Breath
1. What is the cause of bad breath?
There are two types of bad breath; transient bad breath and chronic bad breath (or chronic halitosis). As the names imply, transient bad breath is a temporary, self-correcting condition while chronic bad breath indicates a more severe imbalance in the body. Medical science hasn’t yet tracked down every single cause of bad breath so you may have to do a little self-troubleshooting.
Transient bad breath
Transient bad breath is usually very temporary and lasts only as long as it’s causative factor. Some of the most common causes of transient bad breath are:
- Recently eaten foods such as: onions, garlic, dairy products, alcohol and high-sugar foods. A mouth coated in sugar is a welcome environment for breath-corrupting bacteria.
- Poor oral hygiene. Bacterias that cause bad breath are often present in the mouth, but a lack of proper cleaning can allow their numbers to increase to smellable proportions.
- Bodily imbalances caused by dehydration, stress, smoking, certain drugs and poor nutrition.
- A state of Ketosis often results in bad breath when one eats more protein than the body can process.
Chronic bad breath
Chronic bad breath is most often caused by bacteria or gum disease. There are some clinics that can perform specialized testing to determine which strain of bacteria is causing the bad breath and then prescribe a personalized treatment. Chronic halitosis can also be caused by certain drugs and medical conditions. If you have a case of bad breath that just won’t quit, have a dental exam as well as a physical.
2. Bad breath remedies
If you can identify the source, do something about it.
Correctable causes of bad breath:
- Dehydration. If you’re urine is dark, you’re dehydrated.
- Diet. Try temporarily avoiding onions, garlic, dairy products, alcohol, and acidic beverages like coffee and OJ to attempt to lessen the stink.
- Hygiene. Are you brushing at least once a day? Are you being thorough? Add mouthwash and begin brushing your tongue when you brush your teeth and see if that helps. Brush after every meal if you must.
- Dieting. On a diet? Take a break for one or two days and see if the breath-stench ceases.
- Prescription medication. I don’t recommend not taking your med’s, but maybe talk to your doctor or search the web for the name of your medicine and the phrase “Bad breath” in quotes to see if there is a commonly known link.
- Poor nutrition. What is your ratio of protein to carbohydrate to fat? How many refined carbohydrates (sugars and flours) have you been eating lately? Keep carbs around 50% and don’t let either fat or protein dominate the other 50%.
Home remedies for bad breath:
Hydrogen peroxide rinse – diluted to a 1.5% solution (with water) and gargled but not swallowed. - Chewing fresh parsley. Buy it at your supermarket or grow it yourself.
- Drink unsweetened green tea.
- Brush your teeth or use some mouthwash.
- Use a tongue brush or scraper. Don’t have one? A small spoon can be substituted.
- Bad breath products (mouthwashes, sprays, gums, mints and pills).
- Mouth rinses containing chlorhexidine, zinc gluconate, and chlorine dioxide.
- Increasing saliva by chewing something without sugar or gently pressing on your tongue with your teeth to mimic the action of chewing.
3. Pets with bad breath
Animals tend to get bad breath for many of the same reasons people do. The most common cause is tooth and gum problems. If your animal develops a fierce case of halitosis, take a trip to the vet. Failing that, dog bad breath treatments as well as cat bad breath treatments are available in the following forms:
Treats - Pet toothpastes
- Pet mouthwashes and sprays
- Dental cleanings (by a vet)
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FLOSS!!! It REMOVES the bacteria that makes your breath smell.
Mouthwash will only mask the odor for a while. If you aren’t
a flosser, your gums may bleed for a couple of weeks and it may
hurt a little, if this happens, you have gingivits (which is the
first stage of periodontal disease). Healthy tissue doesn’t
bleed. When flossing, make sure you are getting the floss between
your tooth & your gum, thats where the bacteria is (in your
gums, not just between your teeth). If your gums are still bleeding
after 2 weeks then make an appointment for a dental cleaning.
Cavities can cause bad breath too. If you don’t like
flossing, try the floss picks on the market.
I usually keep a tube of toothpaste in my pocket mixed with a
bit of pickle juice, I suck on it every five minutes or so through
out the day, it works great, it is a little embarrasing when you
get caught doing it though…
Brush after eating if you can.
i have really bad breath and girls hate me please help
Get to the dentist and have an honest talk. I had chronic
halitosis for years and no one told me. Finally someone did and I
freaked out. I tried everything – aggressive brushing –
flossing – various expensive mouthwashes and solutions
advertised on the internet “guaranteed to work” (they
didn’t).
I finally found the problem – a tooth. Years before I had had
a root canal done, then replaced with a post and crown and though I
didn’t have any actual pain, it just felt odd. I went to the
dentist (previous visits and x-rays did not reveal anything
unusual) and asked about this. My dentist agreed something was
going on there and referred me to a specialist – an oral
surgeon. He removed the tooth and apparently the roots of the tooth
had rotted and were no longer bone – just black gunk (ugh!)
This infection was what was causing my bad breath – and when
he removed the tooth, and all the infected bone around it (no it
wasn’t painful!) he found it went right up into my sinus
cavity – which I guess is how a lot of the odor was released.
After removal of the tooth, I wasn’t “airtight”
for a short while, but it healed well and guess what? NO MORE
HALITOSIS!! (unless I’m eating onions, of course)
If you have serious, chronic halitosis, consider your dental
history and if you have had a root canal or have a post and crown,
have your dentist carefully examine your x-rays of this tooth
– it could be the “root” of your problem!
i havee really bad breath all the time
i brush my teeth everyday but nothing seems to work , i cant even
bare going to school because i know people can smelland it stops me
going out with friends and stuff , i really cant bare this anymore
its getting to the point where life is just unbareable pleaseee
someone help mee
Gargle some Hydrogen Peroxide – I gargle with it after
lunch since I don’t bring a toothbrush to work.
Chewing Mint leaf is something I haven’t done, but is an
old style way of handling bad breath. also drinkin mint tea.
choe on white paper twice a day,
pretty simple yall can do it =D
I can’t chew gum all the time to fix this problem! what
can i do?!?! it’s soo embarassing!
Watch what you eat, but don’t give up eating garlic or
onions completely since they provide nutrients that benefit our
bodies. brush after those meals tho.