Here is a common oral problem that most people get: bad breath. But it’s so common that there are permanent and quick fixes to them. And it all lies in your oral habits. Here is a fun fact, persistent bad breath has a medical term—chronic halitosis.
Anything that you do regularly will gradually show some effects, whether it’s good or bad. On a similar note, if you start taking care of your mouth and build a habit of healthy oral routines, you can say goodbye to bad breath permanently.
Be warned: we’re about to show you a list of things you know you should be doing, but you really don’t. But the good news is that the fixes aren’t actually expensive and time-consuming because it all boils down to the things you do daily.
Answer this question real quick: how many times do you brush your teeth? Be honest! Just say the answer in your head.
If you answered three times or more, then you’re doing really good! But if you answer one or two, then you need to try to do better. If you don’t, then now’s the time to start. Like right now, brush your teeth and then come back to this article.
Brushing alone is mostly the solution. When you eat and drink, the tiny particles found in your food and beverages can stick onto the surfaces of your teeth. Glugging large amounts of water will never remove those particles because they need to be physically scrubbed off your teeth.
To keep your mouth clean and fresh, always make sure to brush your teeth three times per day, for three minutes at each time. Brushing after meals is the best way to remember to brush.
Now, how about flossing?
Imagine that your floss is your toothbrush’s sidekick. They work together to fight bacteria, and without the other, they will never accomplish their mission.
Unfortunately, brushing alone can only remove about 95% of bacteria and food particles in your mouth. You’ll soon learn enough that this will be useless as time goes on because bacteria spread, and they grow fast. Yeah, we’re sorry to break that to you.
The remaining 5% are hidden between the tight spaces between your teeth that any toothbrush cannot reach. This is highly relatable for those who have teeth that are really close together.
Luckily, the floss was invented. Since it comes in a thin but sturdy string, it can reach those tight spaces. Flossing also removes bacteria and food particles between the gum line and the teeth, which could do more harm than good if you tried vigorously with a toothbrush.
Sadly, most people don’t like to floss as you have to work on each tooth, making it more time-consuming than brushing. In fact, some people don’t even floss at all.
To keep your mouth safe from bacteria causing bad breath, you also need to floss at least once per day after brushing your teeth. To help you keep up with the habit, you can opt for flavored floss or charcoal floss that helps whiten your teeth over time.
Part of maintaining your oral hygiene is to also make sure that your tongue is as clean as the rest of your mouth. If you look in the mirror, it shouldn’t have a white film on the surface.
Believe it or not, no matter how many mints you take in your mouth, an unclean tongue can be the cause of your bad breath. The white film on your tongue accumulates bacteria that are responsible for halitosis. Whenever you brush your teeth, it’s necessary to scrape your tongue as well.
You can use a tongue scraper to clean your tongue. Most toothbrushes already have a tongue scraper at the back of the head. You can also use the actual toothbrush itself, just be careful with brushing your tongue with it.
Most of the time, your habits are the main culprit of your bad breath. Excessive consumption of sweets, caffeine, and alcohol stick more into your mouth. Smoking also causes bad breath.
No matter how often you brush and floss, caffeine, sugar, and nicotine will highly affect your breath. But there’s still a chance. Cutting back on them might be difficult, but it’s either them or a fresher breath.
We know that quitting on them takes a long time to accomplish. But even lessening your consumption will greatly benefit not just your breath, but ultimately your health. The lesser you drink and smoke, the more likely you’ll attain a fresher breath.
You can also start consuming foods that gently but effectively scrub off plaque-causing bacteria, such as fibrous fruits and vegetables. Chewing on these acts as natural toothbrushes that also add up to a healthier diet for you.
Yep, we’re serious on that one. Although there’s nothing wrong with using mouthwash when you need to freshen up your breath instantly. But using it as a part of your daily oral hygiene actually threatens your breath a lot more.
Mouthwashes are very powerful and contain alcohol, the active ingredient that stings in your mouth. Recent studies were able to back up that the alcohol in mouthwash makes your mouth dry and rinses away the fluoride.
There are two ways to solve this problem: use mouthwash that doesn’t contain any alcohol or simply just gargle with water.
Have you ever heard of oil pulling? It’s an ancient Indian practice that they use to maintain their oral hygiene. Oil pulling products are currently being sold as teeth whitening solutions and general oral care kits. However, an experiment compared the benefits of oil pulling and discovered that you can also get the same benefits if you just gargled with mouthwash. That’s an astonishing discovery!
Bad breath can ruin anyone’s confidence. Take these habits to heart, and you’ll be able to smile, laugh, and talk with confidence!
