Breath Bad? Try These Tips

More than 90 million people in the U.S. suffer with chronic halitosis. Although the problem for some of these folks goes deeper than sucking on a breath mint and increasing their effort at oral hygiene, there are some simple steps that can help remedy the problem.

Brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth.

Bad breath is often caused by decaying food particles trapped between teeth. However, often the resulting bacteria gets trapped in the film that accumulates on the tongue. Keep your tongue clean and pink and you’ll cut down on the places that odor-causing bacteria can hide.

Chew gum.

A dry mouth is bad breath’s best friend, while saliva is its mortal enemy. Chewing gum keeps the saliva glands producing and the resulting saliva washes away the bacteria that cause bad breath. Of course, sugarless gum is your best bet.

Chew cinnamon gum.

Unlike other flavors, cinnamon is not just a cover-up. Studies indicate that the flavor actually has properties that kill the bacteria that cause bad breath.

Drink more water.

Keeping hydrated is an important step to reducing halitosis. Along the same lines as chewing gum to maintain saliva production, you need adequate hydration in order for the saliva glands to function properly in the first place.

Eat an adequate amount of carbohydrates.

A side effect of a low-carb diet is the production of ketones, which have an unpleasant odor and are released by the body through the breath.

Lastly, don't let bad breath go to your head.

A disproportionately high number of people walk around thinking that they have bad breath when they don’t. If you think your breath is bad, get an opinion from someone you trust before attempting to fix something that isn’t broken. It’s nearly impossible to determine the quality of your own breath. 

For questions about dentures, dental implants, periodontal disease or general dentistry including accelerated orthodontics, call the Ferber Dental Group a 561-439-8888 or visit http://www.ferberdental.com.