Halitosis, or severe bad breath, affects 25 percent of the world’s population. But, many more have woken up with morning breath at one time or another.

1. Drink Water Often

Your mouth naturally has bacteria that protects the teeth from erosion. But, it also has plenty of harmful bacteria that cause stinky plaque and tartar buildup. Some say you should drink eight glasses of water a day. Others that you should drink half your weight in ounces. Whichever rule you follow, ensure you’re drinking plenty of water every day.

2. Use a Tongue Scraper

Sometimes, brushing your teeth doesn’t remove all the food particles from your mouth. Debris from food, bacteria, and dead cells buildup on the tongue giving it a whitish appearance. Using a tongue scraper is a quick and easy way to remove tongue debris. Add it to your daily oral hygiene routine for long-lasting results.

3. Consume More Probiotics

In some cases, the cause of bad breath is unbalanced intestinal flora. You can rebalance your flora by eating foods high in probiotics and that promote digestive enzymes. That includes yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and pickles. If you don’t have enough digestive enzymes, the food you consume doesn’t get broken down well enough. Instead, it produces a foul odor which travels to your mouth.

4. Rinse Your Mouth

Food gets lodged between your teeth and in your gum lines. If you wait until bedtime to brush it away, it sits in your mouth for hours. Depending on the food, this can cause seriously bad breath. If your mouth feels dry, that can also contribute to bad breath. You need saliva to wash away bacteria and thus, the scent. Rinsing with water can trigger saliva production to remove bacteria.

5. Take Care of Your Gums

Your gums are delicate parts of your mouth and are susceptible to infection. Food easily gets trapped under the gumline. Take care of your gums the same way you take care of your teeth by gently brush along the gumline in small circles. Never brush across the gums with wide strokes as this can damage them. Flossing is incredibly important for cleaning your gums. Make sure you floss every night to remove any leftover bits of food from the day.

6. Eat More Apples

An apple a day keeps the dentist away, right? Apples stimulate saliva production which then washes away bacteria.

7. Quit Smoking Cigarettes

In case you needed another reason to give up smoking or chewing tobacco, here’s another one. Smoking tobacco cigarettes can cause bad breath, among a host of other issues.

Smoking has been known to cause:

Plaque and tartar buildups on the teeth

Inflamed salivary glands

Higher risk of developing gum disease

And, of course, chewing and smoking tobacco can cause bad breath. You can improve your breath by quitting smoking and chewing.

Then, see your dentist to assess the damage caused by these two habits.

8. See your dentist

The most important tip after good dental hygiene and quitting smoking - is seeing your dentist for regular appointments for cleanings and checkups.

Looking for a dentist in Dunedin, Florida? Our team of dental health professionals will help you keep your mouth clean and breath fresh.