Table of contents:
- The most effective way to get rid of bad breath
- 1. Drink water
- 2. Brush your teeth
- 3. Flossing teeth
- 4. Use mouthwash
- 5. Clean the tongue
- 6. Gargle baking soda
- 7. Avoid foods that cause bad breath
- 8. Stop smoking
- 9. Consultation with a dentist
- Various foods that eliminate bad breath
- 1. Chewing gum
- 2. Yogurt
- 3. Apples
- 4. Foods rich in vitamin C
Even though it's not a serious medical problem, bad breath can make us feel insecure. The unpleasant smell that comes out of the mouth makes us often feel insecure about conversing with people around us. However, now you don't need to worry anymore. There are many easy and effective ways to get rid of bad breath. Anything? Come on, let's check the answer in the following review.
The most effective way to get rid of bad breath
More than 90 percent of bad breath cases come from teeth and mouth that are dirty due to bacteria. Every time you eat, bits of food can stick or get caught between your teeth.
Food debris stuck in your teeth will eventually be visited by bacteria if you rarely brush your teeth. These bacteria can release sulfur compounds that cause your mouth to smell bad.
Even so, there are many other factors that can also cause bad breath. Starting from smoking, eating strong-flavored foods, to signs of serious medical conditions.
Whatever the cause, don't let bad breath reduce your self-confidence. You can try a number of simple ways to get rid of bad breath.
1. Drink water
Did you know that dry mouth can cause bad breath? Yes. Dry mouth indicates less saliva production. This can affect your oral hygiene.
Without saliva, bacteria that cause bad breath are very easy to breed. The reason is, the bacteria that cause bad breath can thrive in dry environmental conditions.
These growing and reproducing bacteria then produce sulfur compounds (sulfur) that sting. When you open your mouth, it will smell bad.
That is why drinking lots of water is the easiest way to deal with and get rid of bad breath. Adequate fluid intake can increase saliva production. That way, your mouth will be more moist and your breath will still feel fresh.
There is no exact measure of how much you should drink. Just make sure to immediately drink a glass of water whenever you feel thirsty. Remember, drink lots of water, not caffeinated or sweet drinks.
2. Brush your teeth
Experts agree that dirty teeth and mouth are the most common causes of bad breath. That is why, maintaining oral hygiene and health is the most effective way to get rid of bad breath.
Make sure you brush your teeth twice a day in the morning and at night using fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is a mineral that effectively helps protect teeth from decay.
However, don't just brush your teeth. Apply the right technique so that you can experience optimal results.
Avoid brushing your teeth too hard. Instead of making your teeth cleaner, brushing hard can actually erode tooth enamel. This is the origin of sensitive teeth.
Don't forget to change your brush every 3-4 months. Thin brush bristles will not be effective for cleaning teeth from plaque and food debris.
3. Flossing teeth
White teeth, clean, and good breath all day long is everyone's dream. In order not to be just a dream, you have to flossing after brushing your teeth.
Flossing is a technique of cleaning between teeth using dental floss. Dental floss can help clean food debris that gets stuck between your teeth and cannot reach the bristles.
When done routinely in the right way,flossing teeth can be a surefire way to get rid of bad breath. Avoid rubbing or pulling too hard.
The reason is, this will actually injure your gums and make them bleed.
4. Use mouthwash
Do you want bad breath to disappear in an instant? Gargle withmouthwash,aka mouthwash.
Apart from eliminating bad breath, gargling can also clean the entire oral cavity from food debris and plaque. It is better if you rinse your mouth twice a day after brushing your teeth andflossing.
For optimal benefits, make sure you know how to use them. Before using mouthwash, pay close attention to the list of ingredients.
Avoid buying mouthwash that contains alcohol. Alcohol can dry out your mouth, which can make your bad breath worse.
In addition, use mouthwash according to the dosage. Make sure you don't overuse it. Excessive use of mouthwash can cause an overdose which has a negative impact on the body.
It is important to understand that gargling cannot replace the role of brushing and brushing flossing. Mouthwash only helps reduce bacteria and freshens breath.
Therefore, make sure you also brush your teeth regularly, flossing, and brush your tongue every day.
5. Clean the tongue
Without realizing it, your tongue is filled with plaque and bacteria that cause bad breath. If plaque and bacteria continue to be allowed to grow and nest there, the bad breath will continue to haunt.
Unfortunately, only by gargling with itmouthwash not enough to get rid of plaque and bacteria on the tongue. When rinsing, only the outer layer of plaque will be shed. While the bacteria underneath it still sticks between the surface of the tongue.
That is why, cleaning the tongue should be part of our daily routine. You can clean the tongue using a toothbrush as a way to get rid of bad breath.
Rub from the base of the tongue to the tip slowly using a toothbrush. After that, rinse your mouth with clean water. Your tongue will be clean and refreshed.
If the toothbrush can't reach the back of your tongue or you feel uncomfortable using the toothbrush, try using itscraper. Scraper is a special tool for cleaning the tongue.
This tool can clean bacteria, food debris, and dead skin cells that stick to the tongue. So, after brushing your teeth,flossing, and gargle don't forget to clean the tongue, huh!
6. Gargle baking soda
In fact, the benefits of baking soda aren't just used for making cakes. Baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, can also be used as a natural method and mouthwash to get rid of bad breath.
Research shows that baking soda is effective at killing bad breath-causing bacteria. Routinely gargling with a solution of baking soda can also help clean plaque and food debris that sticks to the surface of your teeth.
How to get rid of bad breath using easy baking soda. Simply dissolve 2 teaspoons of baking soda in a glass of warm water.
Gargle in all corners of the mouth for 30 seconds. After that, throw away the used water. Do this method regularly to get optimal results.
7. Avoid foods that cause bad breath
Even though it tastes good, it turns out that there are a number of foods that can be a source of bad breath. For example, garlic, durian, petai, and jengkol.
In principle, everything you eat will affect how your mouth and breath smells like. This is because the compounds that cause bad breath contained in these foods can survive in your mouth.
These compounds can also enter the bloodstream and lungs, causing a bad smell when you open your mouth.
Therefore, be wise in choosing a daily diet as a way of eliminating also overcoming the problem of bad breath.
8. Stop smoking
The breath of people who smoke tends to have a strong, unpleasant smell. This is because active smokers are more likely to experience various oral and dental problems.
Various studies have even reported that smokers are twice as likely to develop gum disease than nonsmokers. Gum disease itself is one of the causes for bad breath.
If you have this, the best way to get rid of bad breath is to stop smoking. Initially it was not easy. However, it is possible to start quitting smoking right now.
You can definitely do this if you make up your mind and mean it. Don't hesitate to ask the people closest to you for support when things get tough.
Remember, quitting smoking doesn't just make your breath fresher. Quitting smoking also improves your body's overall health.
If it is still difficult, consulting a doctor is the best option. Doctors can prescribe certain drugs or smoking cessation therapy.
9. Consultation with a dentist
Bad breath can be a sign of a more serious medical condition, such as diabetes and kidney disease.
Therefore, if the methods above do not work to get rid of bad breath, immediately seek treatment at a dentist.
The doctor will find out the cause of bad breath by thoroughly examining your oral cavity. He will also ask about your medical history and how you care for oral and dental hygiene.
If necessary, the doctor will also ask you to perform a series of laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis. After the cause is identified, then the doctor can determine the right treatment according to your condition.
You may be prescribed a special mouthwash that can be used to both freshen your breath and cleanse your mouth. Special toothpaste can also be given to help protect your teeth from the threat of plaque and bad breath-causing bacteria.
Ideally, regularly check your oral health at least every 6 months.
Various foods that eliminate bad breath
It turns out that there are foods and drinks that can temporarily relieve bad breath. This was conveyed by Gerald P. Curatola, a professor of dentistry at New York University College of Dentistry on the Everyday Health page.
When you can't clean your teeth right away, try some of the foods and drinks below as a way to get rid of bad breath.
1. Chewing gum
Chewing gum can be a way to get rid of bad breath instantly in an emergency. In addition, chewing gum can help increase saliva production to flush out the remaining plaque that has slipped on the teeth.
According to drg. Tripti Meysman, founder of a dental clinic called CityTooth in Minneapolis, United States, eating chewing gum can be a smart solution as a way to get rid of bad breath when you don't have a toothbrush with you.
Instead, choose mint-flavored gum and avoid sweet-tasting gum. Apart from the fact that mint flavor can disguise bad odors in the mouth, the sugar content is also not very good.
This is because bacteria in the mouth can eat the sugar contained in sweet-tasting gum, so that it produces acid in the mouth. Acidic conditions in the mouth can damage tooth enamel and cause bad breath.
2. Yogurt
Yogurt is another great way to get rid of bad breath. The probiotic content in yogurt can fight bad bacteria in the mouth.
Not only that, the probiotics in yogurt can also reduce the amount of hydrogen sulfide produced by bad breath-causing bacteria. Please note, hydrogen sulfide is a compound that causes a distinctive odor from your mouth.
Yogurtplainaka that without taste is the best choice for dealing with bad breath. The reason is, the added sugar in various flavors of yogurt can actually attract the attention of bad bacteria.
3. Apples
Apart from being useful for smoothing metabolism, it turns out that fruit also plays an active role in inhibiting the activity of bacteria that cause bad breath. One of the fruits that you can consume as a way to get rid of bad breath is apples.
The health benefits of apples don't need to be doubted. Apart from being rich in fiber which is good for accelerating metabolism, apples are also effective in relieving bad breath.
Apples can help inhibit the activity of bad breath-causing bacteria thanks to their polyphenol content. The polyphenols in apples can also help remove compounds or gases that smell like sulfur in the mouth.
Meanwhile, the crunchy texture of the apple when chewed can also help to release food debris that is still stuck in the teeth. It doesn't stop there. Chewing apples can also make your mouth produce more saliva.
So, it's not unusual for eating apples to be a surefire way to get rid of bad breath.
4. Foods rich in vitamin C
Vegetables and fruits that are rich in vitamin C can also be a healthy and practical way to get rid of bad breath.
Fruits such as oranges, strawberries, guava, and grapes are known to produce acid in the mouth. Likewise, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower are both high in vitamin C.
The acids produced by these fruits and vegetables can help prevent bad bacteria from multiplying in the mouth.
On the other hand, vitamin C is needed to strengthen the body's immune system to fight disease-causing bacteria. Including, fighting the bacteria that cause bad breath.