Dental Advice to Avoid Bad Breath

Dental Advice to Avoid Bad Breath
I often see patients who are embarrassed by their foul breath, to the extent that it is limiting their social life, even causing them to talk with hands over their mouths. Having bad breath is a common issue in both men and women and it needs proper attention

Even though the tongue is the most common culprit for bad breath, other causes can be gum disease, dry mouth and poor dental hygiene. Other causes can affect your breath from down below, like you liver or your stomach. In most cases, careful brushing, flossing and tongue-scraping will do the trick but if it still persists, make sure to visit your dentist or hygienist.

Here are my top five tips to help you achieve minty fresh breath…

1. Check your Breath
Licking the inside of your wrist with the back part of your tongue is the best way to test your breath. This will give a true reflection of your breath freshness -Try it

2. Keep your tongue in tip-top condition
Don’t just clean your teeth. For a clean tongue use a tongue scraper or toothbrush and gently apply some toothpaste to the tongue’s surface. This will help remove waste and odour from the bacteria that live deep in the tongue’s papillae. Those with deep grooves or fissures are more prone to bad breath as fissures provide an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply- get scraping!

3. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration causes oral bacteria to thrive, resulting in production of malodorous gases. Drinking plenty of water keeps you hydrated and helps wash away food residue in your mouth.

4. Smoking ….oh dear
Smoking is a really big issue when it comes to bad breath. It quickly dries out the mouth and introduces nicotine and tar, which contributes to making an even more complex unpleasant odour. Sorry smokers, but bad breath is almost going to be a certainty!

4. Chew sugar-free gum
Sugar free gum is good for your teeth and can add a fresh minty zing to your breath- perfect confidence building for the big date! Keep some sugar-free mints or chewing gum handy in your pocket or purse, in case you feel like your breath needs a boost after dinner

5. Brush, Floss, Hygienist…
The most obvious ways to keep your mouth fresh! Brushing helps remove the bacteria and food debris on your teeth and tongue and floss gets in between the teeth where toothbrushes just can’t reach. A regular hygienist visit is one of the most important things you can do to ensure long-term oral health and fresh breath. Nothing feels quite like professionally cleaned debris-free teeth!

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