Things You Can Do About Bad Breath NOW

It’s that awful moment when you wake up in the morning and something stinks – real bad. Then you realize, it’s your breath. Morning breath is not something new. Many people experience it, but a sip of water or brushing your teeth should solve that problem. However, for some people no matter what their breath DOES stink, even after brushing or taking a drink of water. For those few there are simple steps one can take to help lessen the stench. If you are not regularly brushing your teeth doing so more often can help keep the stench at bay. Brush at least 2 times a day and floss once. If you are over concerned about stinky breath maybe brushing 3 times and flossing 2 times is OK, but do not go overboard. Overdoing it can make your teeth more prone to decay. When you are not brushing your teeth sip water frequently to keep hydrated and keep your mouth moist. Rinse out after meals or snacks to keep the food from settling in and making your breath smell even worse! It may sound gross, but one big problem most people forget that is causing the stench to their bad breath is their tongue. Scraping your tongue to get rid of bacteria that may grow there can often help eliminate many sources of stinky breath. Comfortably brushing to the back of your tongue with your toothbrush works OK, but if that is not comfortably you can use a scraper as well to gently run across the tongue to pick up any excess bacteria. It’s also best to avoid foods that sour your breath. Eating things heavy with onions or garlic will not help your breath smell any better either. Eat them sparingly or at least when you are going out in public. Try things that are more mild and neutral in flavor and odor. Also kick the after-dinner mints or candies as they can often leave sugars that decompose in the mouth making breath smell worse than it otherwise would. Opt just for a glass of water, or if you must have something with flavor a piece of sugarless chewing gum should work fine! If you smoke or have a tobacco habit this is another reason to kick that habit! These habits can make your breath smell even worse than usual, and can also help infect the gums which can give breath and even more putrid odor. If you have at cigarette or tobacco habit see your doctor to help get on a non-smoking or a quitting plan. It can save your health and your breath. One final step is to ensure that you have a humidifier in your home, and that the cold dry air of winter isn’t drying out your mouth. Moreover, ensure you are sipping water frequently to keep the mouth moistened and to avoid buildups of excessive bacteria in the mouth from occurring. If all steps fail despite these efforts see your doctor to see what may be the issue. It may be from some rare medical conditions where a diagnosis and treatment plan may be the need. If you have questions regarding this article contact us or call us 909-465-1016 The Ramona Dentistry Team “Where Family Comes First”