Bad Breath Remedy Guide  

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What Bad Breath Remedy Really Works?

Everyone had stinky breath at one time or another - so the question is, "what bad breath cures can I use that really work?" There are both short term and long term methods of keeping fresh breath.

Watch What You Eat

Some of the foods you eat will cause temporary breath problems. Foods like onions, garlic, and cabbage are famous for causing odors. The high percentage of sulfur compounds in these foods are what leads to the characteristically strong smell. There are several solutions to this type of breath problem. One is to limit the amount of these foods that you eat. Brush after eating and clean your tongue at the same time. And in this case, a short term solution will help with the short term problem - breath mints, chewing gum, mouth wash or breath fresheners will help. These last suggestions just mask the odor, but can be effective in the short term.

Belches can also be smelly. These come from your stomach and esophagus and aren't really considered bad breath in the usual sense of the term.  They have to do with your digestive tract and are an entirely different problem.

Long Term Breath Cures

The best lasting bad breath solution is to follow an effective daily routine for good oral hygiene.

The main cause of bad breath are the by-products of the naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth. The ones that cause the main problem are anaerobic bacteria, meaning that they survive in the absence of oxygen. When you reduce increase the amount of water and oxygen in your mouth and you reduce the amount of food left in your mouth after eating, you will reduce the odor problem. After eating, rinse your mouth. This will remove some remaining bits of food and will help keep you mouth moist, which inhibits the action of the anaerobic bacteria.

Brush and floss regularly. This reduces food particles on and between your teeth and helps get rid of plaque, which is a result of and a breeding ground for bacteria.

Take Care of That Tongue!

Clean your tongue. Scrape gently from back to front two or three times when you are cleaning your teeth. The coating on your tongue protects the anaerobic bacteria and encourages the build-up of sulfurous smelling bacterial waste products.  Scraping helps remove this coating. Use one of the new mouthwashes that contains chloride dioxide and has no alcohol. Chlorine dioxide is considered the latest advance in getting rid of halitosis. It attacks and counteracts the volatile sulfur compounds (VSC's) that cause smelly breath. Drink plenty of water. Having a dry mouth encourages the growth of anaerobic bacteria. This is one reason that people who snore or sleep with their mouths open wake up with morning breath. Their mouths have dried out overnight. Keep yourself and your mouth hydrated by drinking adequate water. The solutions to bad breath are really quite simple, but you need to make them a regular part of your daily routine. Watch what you eat and practice regular dental and oral care. All of the bad breath remedies you need you can do yourself and are easy to do.