Bad breath: causes and treatment

Category: Braces · 16 July 2019

Bad breath (halitosis) can have a negative impact on your social life and your self-confidence. To make sure that doesn’t happen, you can follow our tips and stop bad breath once and for all – with or without braces.

The basic requirement: good oral hygiene

The oral hygiene techniques recommended by dentists don’t just help against tooth decay and gum disease – they also freshen your breath.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day. This removes food debris that feeds bacteria and causes bad breath. Pay attention to the insides of your cheeks too, as bacteria can also build up there.
Eating, drinking and the body’s natural processes also leave bacteria on your tongue. Clean your tongue regularly with a tongue scraper
Rinse your mouth with water or a mouthwash to remove any remaining residue.

Regular visits to the dentist

If you have bad breath, your mouth may not be healthy enough. See your dentist regularly. They will examine your mouth and diagnose any possible health problems. Regular professional dental hygiene, which removes tartar, stains and bacteria, is just as important. You’ll be surprised how much fresher your breath is after a professional clean.

Drink enough

Bad breath can be a symptom of a dry mouth. If that’s the case, there isn’t enough saliva to wash away food debris and bacteria. You can counteract this by drinking enough.

If a dry mouth is the cause of your bad breath, you can mix a few drops of lemon essential oil into your toothpaste or drinking water. It boosts saliva production.

Avoid certain foods and drinks

Certain foods and drinks cause bad breath, such as garlic, coffee, onions and alcohol. Often, brushing your teeth alone isn’t enough to get rid of their smell. The substances that affect your breath can enter your bloodstream and lungs – and make things smelly for the people around you.

Eat foods rich in zinc

Some people who suffer from bad breath have low zinc levels. Zinc is a natural antimicrobial that keeps your mouth clean and free of smelly bacteria. You can raise your body’s zinc levels by eating foods rich in this mineral, including oysters, beef, firm tofu, lentils, low-fat yoghurt and pumpkin seeds.

Chew parsley after meals

The parsley on your plate isn’t just there as a garnish. It contains chlorophyll, a natural breath freshener that eliminates odours from within the body. Chew parsley leaves or pick up some chlorophyll tablets from the chemist.

Natural oils

Some essential oils fight bad breath naturally. Peppermint oil is perfect for this purpose. Its strong flavour neutralises odours, while its antiseptic properties eliminate the germs and bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Tea tree oil is also antibacterial and removes foul-smelling bacteria.

Thyme oil keeps more than 60 different strains of bacteria – including Staphylococcus, Enterococcus and Escherichia – in check.

How to use: mix a little oil into your toothpaste or put a few drops directly on your tongue. Alternatively, you can choose dental care products that contain these oils.

Quit smoking

Smoking isn’t just harmful – it also causes bad breath because of smoke particles that linger in the mouth and throat for a long time.

Smokers are also more likely than non-smokers to develop gum disease, which leads to bad breath.

You might also be interested in:

Back to Tips & Tricks