Home Remedies for Bad Breath

Sometimes faulty dental habits like not brushing the teeth after meals daily can cause bad breath. The food particles remain in the mouth and promote the bacterial growth between teeth, around the gums and even on the tongue.

  Saliva helps to clean our mouth and remove particles that cause bad odors. A condition called xerostomia (dry mouth) occurs when saliva level is decreased. It naturally occurs during sleep leading to morning breath.

  Sometimes some illness or diseases cause bad breath, for instance, cancers and metabolic disorders can cause a distinctive breath odor because of the chemicals they produce. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause a fruity bad odor due to the production of ketone bodies and chronic reflux of stomach acids (GERD).

  Another cause of bad breath is any kind of infection or ulcer on the nasal passage.

  Smoking or chewing tobacco based product also cause bad breath, stain teeth, reduce the ability to taste the food and irritate the gums.

One can easily improve or prevent the bad breath by following steps like:

  Brushing your teeth regularly after you eat. Use toothpaste that has got antibacterial properties.

  Proper flossing removes food particles and plaques between the teeth.

  A tongue scraper is more effective than a toothbrush for reducing odors that originate from tongue. Nowadays toothbrush with build tongue cleaner is available.

  If you are wearing bridge or partial or complete denture, clean it thoroughly once in day.

  Drink plenty of water to keep your mouth moist. This does not mean the intake of tea, coffee or alcohol as these dry the mouth. Chewing gum (preferably sugar free) stimulates saliva, washing away the food particles and bacteria.

  Decrease alcohol and coffee intake in the diet and add more fiber in the diet. Try to avoid odor smelling food items.

  Make an appointment with the dentist at least twice a year to have your teeth or dentures examined and cleaned.

Some of the home remedies to combat bad breath are:

  Chewing mint leaves will freshen up the mouth and will remove bad breath.

  Chewing one clove after meals will also help to deal with the problem.

  Eating apple daily is also good for mouth purification as it removes the bacteria causing bad breath.