How to sort bad breath?

What’s worse than being around someone with bad breath?

When you’re that someone.

Especially when you don’t realize it, and someone else tells you.

To be fair, it’s actually very hard to sense the smell of your own breath. That’s why it pays to surround yourself with honest, nonjudgmental people who’ll subtly tell you if you have foul breath.

Now, how do you fix bad breath?

If you have mouthwash or a mint on hand, great!

But if you’d like to save yourself a trip to the local store and money, take a look around your house.

Below, we share 10 simple bad breath remedies using items you probably already have at home!

Whenever you feel your mouth getting dry, drink water (not juice or soda because those can dry your mouth out more).

Saliva helps keep your mouth clean and prevents smelly bacteria from thriving.

Gargling salt water is a natural way to stop bad breath.

Create a mixture of 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt to every 8 ounces of warm water. Swish a swig of the mixture around your mouth for 30 seconds, then spit it out. Repeat as needed.

Cloves help freshen your breath instantly and fight off bacteria that cause cavities.

Simply suck on or chew a few cloves a few times a day.

Side note:

Don’t use clove oil or powdered cloves because they may cause burns.

Onion or garlic breath? Get rid of these bad breath odors instantly with apple cider vinegar (ACV)!

Add a generous splash of ACV to a glass of water and switch it around your mouth. Gargle for 30 seconds, then spit it out.

Did your know fruits and vegetables help freshen your breath?

Apples, celery, and carrots act as natural toothbrushes and help remove odor-causing bacteria from your teeth.

Oranges (vitamin C) help increase saliva production to fight bad breath.

Did you know alcohol dries out your mouth? And did you also know most over-the-counter mouthwashes contain alcohol?

As we mentioned earlier, dry mouth is associated with bad breath. That’s why store-bought mouthwashes don’t work for everyone!

Luckily, you can make your own alcohol-free mouthwash at home, and you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen.

Here is a recipe for an all-natural, homemade, alcohol-free mouthwash:

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and pour them into a container. The DIY mouthwash will stay good for up to 2 weeks.

There are a few ways to use tea tree oil to freshen your breath:

Flossing removes plaque buildup, bacteria, or food stuck between or on your teeth, which is often the culprit for bad breath.

Pro tip:

When flossing, hug the floss around each side of your tooth.

Tongues can harvest all sorts of bacteria, making your breath smell bad.

To clean your tongue, gently scrub it with your toothbrush! Make sure to rinse your toothbrush and mouth afterward.

Gum helps stimulate saliva production, which helps clean your mouth of stinky bacteria and leftover food particles.

Pro tip:

Chew sugar-free gum!

Generally speaking, the best way to permanently end bad breath is by having a good dental hygiene routine. That includes:

If your bad breath persists, consult with your dentist for a medical diagnosis. In some cases, bad breath may stem from an infection, disease, medications, periodontal disease, etc.

Contact Croasdaile Dental Arts!

Our doctors will help you combat smelly breath by finding the root cause instead of band-aiding over the symptoms.

Request An Appointment

We proudly serve Durham, NC… opens in a new window to Google Maps…, and surrounding communities in Raleigh, Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, Mebane, and Timberlake.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2017 and has been completely revamped for comprehensiveness and timeliness.

Not just a bandage that temporarily covers up the problem, LISTERINE® mouthwash seeps deeper, to attack the root of what causes bad breath.

Have you ever been in a situation where people avoid conversations with you because of the bad smell from your mouth? This is not just a social issue. Smelly breath is an indicator of poor dental habits, which can lead to more severe dental problems.

Bad breath, or halitosis, can be caused by multiple reasons and made worse by unhealthy lifestyle habits, including the food you eat and the way you care for your teeth. Everything you eat is broken down in your mouth, so the odors stay long after you have finished your meal. It is important to clean the mouth after meals, and brush and floss properly to get rid of residual scraps stuck in the teeth, as these are the leading cause of mouth odor.

Rinsing regularly with a mouthwash can also help wash away the leftover food particles, and leave your breath smelling clean and fresh.

One of the biggest reasons for bad breath is poor dental hygiene. If you do not brush and floss properly, leftover food particles in the mouth start to decay. They emit a foul odor, which turns into the smelly breath.These particles also help bacteria to grow in the mouth. Bacteria cause decay in the teeth and gums, producing a sulphur compound, which leads to foul mouth odor.The same bacteria can also cause infections in the gums, and bad breath is one of the first signs of this.

Fresh clean breath gives you the confidence to speak to people, while mouth odor can be harmful for your social life. It is difficult for you to know how your breath smells, and most people will not be comfortable pointing it out to you. So how do you know if your breath is smelly? One way is to lick the inside of your wrist, wait five seconds, and then take a whiff. If it smells bad, so does your mouth.

Some of the other common bad breath symptoms include:

When speaking to people, fresh and nice-smelling breath can incite a positive reaction, which gives a boost to your confidence. Mouth odor can cause negative reactions, and cause people to avoid talking to you. Taking good care of your teeth and maintaining good oral hygiene will ensure your breath stays fresh and help you have positive social interactions. It also helps you avoid long-term and serious dental issues.

Bad breath, or chronic halitosis, is more common than you think.

But it is also easy to combat. No matter what the cause, bad breath can be controlled with a good dental routine. Even while you are seeking medical treatment for mouth odor, you can still try to keep your breath fresh.

• gently brush your teeth and gums at least twice a day for 2 minutes.
• use a fluoride toothpaste.
• gently clean your tongue once a day using a tongue scraper or cleaner.
• clean between your teeth with interdental brushes or floss at least once a day.
• get regular dental check-ups.