No one likes bad breath. It’s embarrassing, annoying, and people around the world try to get rid of it or hide it as best as they can. The number one thing people do to get rid of bad breath is brushing their teeth, but did you know that brushing alone may not be able to get rid of bad breath? Sometimes you can floss, brush and use mouthwash and still suffer from bad breath. Scientists are still studying the causes of bad breath, and they have found a few surprising ones.
1. Don’t Skip Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and now we can add fresh breath to the list of reasons why. When you skip breakfast, your saliva glands aren’t as active in the morning and this can dry out your mouth, causing bad breath. Even if you brush and gargle before leaving the house, your breath will not be as fresh as it would be if you had eaten breakfast.
2. Coffee – Stainer of Teeth and Saboteur of Breath
Coffee lovers aren’t likely to give up their morning jolt over minor tooth stains or bad breath, but they can help the bad breath problem by drinking less coffee. This beverage will dry your mouth out, and the more you drink, the worse the problem will get. Try cutting back to one or two cups per day and drink a glass or two of water after each cup to keep your mouth from becoming too dry.
3. Bad Bacteria Will Make Your Breath Smell
You may be surprised to learn that your mouth is home to both good and bad bacteria. The bad bacteria is one of the causes of bad breath, and studies show that one in particular, H. Pylori, is linked to halitosis. Since it mostly lives on the tongue, make sure you brush your tongue each time you brush your teeth. If you can, brush more than 2 or 3 times per day.
4. Surprisingly, Gum is One of the Causes of Bad Breath
Usually, as soon as you are aware your breath is bad, you pop some gum in your mouth, thinking that it will cure the problem. If your gum is sweetened with Xylitol, it should help to freshen your breath. Studies showthat only sugar-free gum sweetened with Xylitol can prevent bacteria that causes cavities and bad breath.
5. Forgetting to Floss
You can brush your teeth often, gargle with mouthwash and stay away from coffee, but if you continually forget to floss, those food partivles between your teeth will still create bad breath. Put a note on the bathroom mirror so you won’t forget to floss. It only takes 21 days to build a habit, so if you can remember for 21 days, you should be set for life.
6. Breathing Through Your Mouth
Some people breathe through their mouths only when they are too stuffed up to breathe through their noses. Others, however, have fallen into the habit of breathing through their mouths all the time. When you have bad breath to begin with, mouth breathing does not help your case! Those who didn’t start out with bad breath will soon find that by breathing through their mouths, they have given themselves bad breath. When your mouth is open for long periods of time, it dries out and a dry mouth is one of the causes of bad breath. Practice breathing through your nose as often as you can, and soon you’ll become more aware of your mouth breathing. After a while, you’ll be breathing through your nose all the time.
7. Eating too much Protein
Protein-rich foods are a food trend right now. Protein has become the number one food to eat while on a diet because it keeps you full for a long time, and companies are adding protein to foods that don’t naturally have it to make more money. Protein is necessary for your body and very good for you, but like anything else, too much of a good thing is not good. If you are limiting your carbohydrates and filling up on protein, it will have an effect on your breath. This type of diet can actually make your breath smell very foul! If you are trying to lose weight but are not enjoying the bad breath, try a more balanced diet instead and add in some exercise. No diet should push you into eating too much of one food group. The best motto for healthy eating and healthy living is “everything in moderation.”
8. Medication Can Cause Bad Breath
No one should ever stop taking medication simply because of bad breath – always talk to your doctor before making these decisions! If you aren’t happy about this particular side effect from your meds, chewing Xylitol gum and drinking lots of water will help you. Buy yourself a nice, sturdy water bottle and mke sure you always have it with you. Try to drink at least 2 or 3 of these throughout the day and you will be healthier along with helping to eradicate your bad breath.
8. After Work Cocktails
There’s nothing like a relaxing drink after a stressful day at work, but if your one drink usually turns into 3 or 4, you might have a problem with bad breath that isn’t going away. Alcohol has a negative affect on saliva glands and will cause a dry mouth. In smaller quantities, it doesn’t cause a problem but if you have too much, you will have bad breath. As mentioned earlier, everything in moderation!
10. Afraid of the Dentist?
Many people hate the thought of going to the dentist for regular check-ups, but if you don’t go, you could have cavities, gum disease, or even infections that you don’t know about. These will all cause you to have bad breath. The best solution in this case is to face the music and go to the dentist. If you schedule regular checkups and cleaning appointments, you are less likely to have major issues with your teeth and gums.
11. Lack of Fruits and Vegetables
Your mother always told you to eat your vegetables, and she was right! If you don’t eat enough fresh fruits and veggies, it can cause bad breath. Fresh produce is the best choice because your mouth will have to increase saliva production to chew and digest the fruits and vegetables, and the extra saliva will clean odor causing bacteria out of your mouth.
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