Most of us are constantly conscious of how fresh our breath is throughout the day. Unpleasant breath has the power to impact your lifestyle, resulting in
. Having bad breath can even cause issues in your professional and personal life.
This leads many people to search for natural solutions to combat bad breath. Certain at-home techniques can even help you to reduce these oral odors from occurring.
Read on for our top tips for how to get rid of bad breath naturally at home.
What Culprits Are Causing Bad Breath to Occur?
Before discussing how to cure bad breath, it's important to know what causes it. Your mouth is home to tons of bacteria from small pieces of food that get lodged between your teeth.
This produces volatile sulfur compounds. These compounds are the main cause of
bad breath, also called halitosis.
Oral health and hygiene habits can affect the number of bacteria inside your mouth. Yet, dental issues like tooth decay and gingivitis can be other causes of bad breath. Gum disease comes from plaque build-up that causes inflammation and persistent bad breath.
Your diet may also impact how your breath smells. Certain foods cause bouts of bad breath to occur. This includes garlic, onions, eggs, and tuna.
The digestive process can sometimes produce extra sulfur in your blood and lungs. So, consuming these foods regularly can affect the smell of your breath. Having acid reflux may also cause you to seek bad breath treatment.
Certain health conditions may also be to blame. These include diabetes, respiratory infections, and metabolic, kidney, or liver disorders. Using tobacco products or consuming too much alcohol are other culprits.
5 Tips for How to Get Rid of Bad Breath Naturally at Home
There are a few tips for how to get rid of bad breath using natural methods. This involves a combination of hygiene habits, diet changes, and household remedies.
1. Adopt the Right Hygiene Habits
The most important factor in keeping bad breath at bay is your oral hygiene routine. Proper brushing and flossing help to remove food particles and plaque build-up. This reduces the number of bacteria in your mouth, resulting in fresher breath.
Good daily brushing and flossing routines are ideal home remedies for bad breath. Brush your teeth twice a day with toothpaste. It's best to do this in the morning and before bed.
You also want to focus on brushing your tongue or using a tongue scraper tool. This is a great at-home method for how to fix bad breath and remove bacteria. Be sure to floss once or twice a day to remove any trapped food particles.
Always be sure to properly clean any dental appliances, like dentures. It's also best to replace your toothbrush every 3 months.
Routine dental checkups will help keep your teeth from a bacteria build-up. Visiting
the dentist
every 6 months is ideal for this.
2. Drink Plenty of Water
Not drinking enough water causes the body to become dehydrated. This can lead to dry mouth, which can counteract any natural remedies for bad breath.
Consuming plenty of water helps flush out bacteria from your mouth. It also boosts saliva production for better breath.
Drinking unsweetened black and green tea may also help with bad breath treatment. These beverages contain antioxidants called polyphenols. They help to fight off bacteria and
inhibit their growth.
Yet, be careful with beverages like black tea as they can cause teeth staining over time. Drinking iced tea through a straw can help prevent this.
3. Add More Herbs and Spices to Your Diet
Certain herbs and spices offer a natural bad breath remedy. This method was used in ancient times and is still effective today.
Parsley and peppermint can help remove the unpleasant odor from your breath. Rosemary, basil, cardamom, and tarragon are also effective in
reducing halitosis.
Placing a few herb leaves into your mouth is one tip for how to fix bad breath. Be sure to chew them thoroughly to release the chlorophyll.
You can also add these herbs to your food or drinks, like in a green juice or salad. Sipping a soothing cup of mint tea is another option. These herbs and spices can also be taken as daily supplements for a bad breath remedy.
4. Focus on Foods That Fight Bad Breath
Certain foods offer natural bad breath cures. Apples are one option as they help neutralize bad breath.
Other crunchy foods like celery, pears, and cucumbers may help as well. Eating these foods increases saliva production and cleans the teeth.
Oranges and other citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. This helps boost saliva production.
Yogurt is ideal for maintaining a balance of healthy bacteria in the body. It contains probiotics, like lactobacillus that can offer a bad breath treatment. Opt for a non-fat greek yogurt without any extra additives or sugar.
5. Chew or Rinse With Products That Contain Zinc
Chewing sugarless gum will freshen your breath while increasing your saliva production. Many of these gums contain zinc which is effective in reducing halitosis by
as much as 45%. Rinsing with a mouthwash that contains zinc is another bad breath cure.
Another tip for how to cure bad breath is to make your own mouthwash. Do this by using household ingredients like baking soda or vinegar mixed with water. These natural substances work well to inhibit or kill bacteria in the oral cavity.
Maintaining Fresh Breath Through Proper Oral Care
Proper oral care and lifestyle habits are the best tips for how to get rid of bad breath naturally at home. These offer a preventative method for reducing plaque and removing mouth bacteria.
If bad breath persists, it helps to
schedule an appointment
with the dentist. This ensures there is not an underlying health condition that is causing bad breath to occur.