Bad breath doesn’t have to become a permanent headache or source of embarrassment in one’s life. It is easy to improve the smell of your breath and keep the gums and teeth healthy at the same time. Listed below are some simple lifestyle tips and steps that can be tried at home to make the mouth feel cleaner and fresher:

1. Brushing and flossing more often
The sticky buildup on the teeth known as plaque collects bacteria which are the cause of bad breath. Adding to the problem is trapped food. One should brush twice a day and floss at least once. If one is concerned about their breath, then one can do both a little more often. However, one shouldn’t overdo things, as over brushing and flossing can lead to the teeth becoming vulnerable to decay.

2. Rinsing one’s mouth
Apart from freshening the breath, a mouthwash lends extra protection to the teeth by getting rid of bacteria, besides making one feel good due to the fresh minty taste. However, one must be sure that the mouthwash they choose kills the germs which are responsible for bad breath and doesn’t simply cover up the odor. Use a mouthwash to rinse daily to stop bad breath at its source. Rinsing the mouth with plain water after meals helps too.

3. Scraping the tongue

The coating which usually forms on the tongue plays host to smelly bacteria. Gently brush the tongue with a toothbrush to get rid of the bacteria. If the brush is too big for comfortably reaching the back of the tongue, a scraper is your best bet. They are designed especially for applying even pressure across the tongue’s surface area, removing dead cells, food debris, and bacteria that brushing alone cannot eliminate.

4. Avoiding foods which sour the breath
Garlic and onions are big offenders as they cause bad breath, but unfortunately, brushing after one eats them will not help. This is because the substances which cause bad odor make their way into the bloodstream, traveling to the lungs where one breathes them out. The best way to stop the problem of bad breath is to avoid eating them altogether, or at the very least, avoid eating them before one steps out to meet people.

5. Quitting the tobacco habit

Apart from causing cancer, smoking could also be responsible for staining one’s teeth, damaging one’s gums and giving one’s mouth bad breath. OTC nicotine patches could go a long way in helping someone with a tobacco habit tame the urge to do so. If someone needs a little help, then making an appointment with the doctor to talk about prescription medicines to help give up tobacco or quit-smoking programs could help.

6. Skipping after-dinner mints and chewing gum instead
Unfortunately for us, the bacteria in our mouths love sugar, using it to make acid. This wears down the teeth, causing bad breath. Instead, one can chew sugarless gum which stimulates the saliva, the natural defense mechanism of the mouth against plaque acids which cause bad breath.