3 Things To Freshen Your Breath

Posted on: 19 August 2015

Having bad breath can cause your confidence to dwindle. People are bound to get physically close to you at times, and you don't want your breath to be offensive.

Nevertheless, even if you are brushing your teeth at least two minutes twice a day, you still may suffer from halitosis. Here a few things you can use to help improve the freshness of your breath:

Sugarless Gum

Mint-flavored gum does not guarantee you fresh breath. If the gum contains sugar, it may be promoting halitosis.

The sugar in regular gum can supply oral bacteria with a quick food source. As the bacterial counts in your mouth grow, so does your halitosis. Bacteria in your mouth emit volatile sulfur compounds that give bad breath its characteristic stale odor.

Sugarless gum doesn't usually feed the bacteria in your mouth. In addition, chewing gum promotes saliva production, which helps wash away plaque and oral bacteria. However, if you want even more breath protection, consider chewing sugarless gum with xylitol.

The substance is known to decrease the amount of oral bacteria. Yet, to be effective, xylitol needs to be one of the first three ingredients in your gum.

Tongue Scraper

Anaerobic bacteria can thrive in the crevices of your tongue. However, a tongue scraper can remove the bacteria and improve the sweetness of your breath.

One study compared a tongue scraper and a toothbrush to determine which was more effective at decreasing the amount of volatile sulfur compounds present. People who used a tongue scraper experienced a 75 percent reduction in volatile sulfur compounds. However, people who used a toothbrush to clean their tongue only achieved a 45 percent reduction in the smelly compounds.

Mouth Wash

Don't select a mouth wash just because of its minty flavor or scent. A fragrant mouthwash may only mask bad breath odors momentarily. Instead, you will need a mouth rinse with germ-fighting capabilities.

A mouth rinse that kills oral bacteria will help lower counts of the odor-producing microorganisms throughout your mouth each time that you rinse with it.

Bacteria within your mouth can ruin your breath. However, there are things that you can do at home to help lower your oral bacteria numbers and improve the smell of your breath. In addition, contact a dentist in your area today for an appointment. He or she can provide even more breath-freshening tips and help keep your mouth in optimal condition.  

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