How to avoid bad breath?

Store shelves are overflowing with mints, mouthwashes and other products designed to help people combat and prevent bad breath. Yet these products help control bad breath only temporarily.

Halitosis, or bad breath is one thing major health concern that should be taken seriously. Halitosis is due to bacteria in the mouth breaking down proteins to volatile Sulphur Compounds that smell. These bad breath sulphur compounds are actually the waste products from the bacteria. There are other causes for bad breath too. These are:

• Bad Breath by Food: Foods such as onions and garlic can cause short-term bad breath. The odor cannot be eliminated because it originates in your intestinal tract and you must wait a day for the odor to leave your body naturally.
• Bad Breath by Smoking: Smoking causes chronic bad breath from the smell of the tobacco and because it leaves your gums and teeth prone to gum disease which causes bad breath.
• Bad Breath caused by Dentures: Dentures (a dental appliance that artificially replaces missing teeth) can cause chronic bad breath when they are not cleaned regularly. Food particles can be caught in the appliances and unless the dentures are washed regularly, the food particles will help oral bacteria thrive in your mouth.
• Bad Breath caused by Dry Mouth: Dry mouth is a condition that can cause short-term or chronic bad breath because moisture helps to clean the tissues of the mouth.  If the mouth is too dry, bacteria cannot be moved away from the mouth leading to bad breath.
• Bad Breath caused by Alcohol: Alcohol dries out the mouth reducing the saliva formation. Also, digestive problems occur because of alcohol causing bad breath.

Cures for bad breath involve a lot of commitment when it comes to good eating habits, proper hygiene, and proper health care. If you believe you are having issues with your oral health, there are some things you need to consider.

• Brush your teeth in the morning, in the evening, and after every meal, especially after consuming milk products, fish and meat.
• Brush your tongue along with your teeth regularly.
• Wash the tongue with baking soda dissolved in warm water to reduce the acidity in your mouth, making a less-friendly environment for the bacteria to grow.
• Clean and replace your toothbrush regularly.
• Avoid mouthwashes with dyes and alcohol. Use mouthwash containing cetylpyridinium chloride, chlorine dioxide, sodium chlorite or zinc as they serve as an antibacterial agent that can control the number of anaerobic bacteria in mouth.
• Celery (ajmod), coriander (dhania), basil (tulsi), rosemary, thyme (hasha), wintergreen (gandapura), cardamom (eliachi), cinnamon bark (dalchini), clove (laung), fennel (saunf) or anise seeds (patli saunf) are great breath fresheners. Slowly chew any of these herbs and allow the saliva to build up in your mouth.
• Eating plain yogurt for 6 weeks can sweeten your breath because it reduces levels of offensive compounds produced by bacteria in the mouth by 80%.
• Rinse your mouth before sleeping with a glass of water with the juice of half a lemon added.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

If you keep teeth, tongue, and mouth clean, you will not suffer from the problem of bad breath. You should take all care in cleaning your teeth by using proper tooth brush and adopting correct brushing technique. Finding an effective cure for bad breath can be liberating for you. When you have eliminated bacteria from your mouth, you will be able to exude confidence when talking to people because you know that you have found a cure for your breath that works!