Blog Summary: Bad breath happens, but it doesn’t have to stick around! From poor oral hygiene to dry mouth and even imbalances in your oral microbiome, there are several reasons your breath might not be so fresh. Luckily, there are easy, expert-approved ways to fight back.
- Brush, floss, and scrape your tongue daily to remove odor-causing bacteria trapped in hard-to-reach places.
- Stay hydrated and chew sugar-free xylitol gum to keep saliva flowing — your body’s natural breath freshener!
- Try home remedies like parsley, apples, green tea, or pineapple juice for a natural freshness boost.
- Avoid alcohol-based mouthwashes that disrupt your microbiome — choose pH-balanced, microbiome-safe oral rinses instead.
- Still noticing bad breath? It could be a sign of gum disease or another issue — time to visit a dentist.
We’ve probably all found ourselves in the situation where we’re going about our day and are hit with an unexpected smell that just…keeps coming back? Until we realize…it’s us! Specifically our breath…Bad breath happens to just about everyone at one point or another, and it’s often triggered by things like consumption of foods like garlic or onion and beverages like coffee. But these aren’t the only causes of stinky breath. In this blog post, we’ll run through how bad breath happens and what to do about it so you can keep your breath fresher every day!
Improve Your Daily Oral Routine
The best way to have consistent breath every day is to ensure that you follow a strict daily oral hygiene routine:
- Be sure that you are brushing twice a day for two minutes.
- You should also floss at least once a day, but if you want to remove bits of food that can serve as a breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria, flossing after every meal is even more ideal.
- Be sure that you scrape your tongue after brushing and flossing! The tongue is filled with little bumps and grooves called papillae that act like a carpet, trapping bacteria inside that can contribute to smelly breath. When you scrape it, you remove many of these anaerobic bacteria.
- Last but not least, consider using a pH-balanced therapeutic oral rinse after all of the above (or in a pinch). Sugar free gum or mints with xylitol also work when on-the-go.
What Causes Bad Breath?
Simply put, bad breath is caused by bacteria. And certain bacteria that contribute to bad breath thrive when the oral microbiome is disrupted, which it is by using harsh antiseptic products like alcohol-based mouthwash.
The oral microbiome can also be disrupted by these things, which, therefore can be seen as indirectly contributing to bad breath:
- A poor diet
- Poor oral hygiene
- Antibiotics
- Medical conditions like diabetes and HIV
- Hormone changes (such as those occurring during puberty, pregnancy, or adolescence)
- Smoking
- Alcohol consumption
Keep Your Mouth Moist & Your Breath Fresh
Did you know that dry mouth is actually a major contributing cause of bad breath? That’s right. Saliva plays a powerful role in keeping odor-causing bacteria under control. This is why experts recommend chewing sugar free gum with xylitol; it stimulates saliva production. So is there a best gum for fresh breath? Not really, just look for a sugar-free one, since added sugar can actually serve as a breeding ground for further bacteria growth, thereby contributing to bad breath more after masking it with a minty flavor and scent temporarily.
Alternatives to chewing gum for fresh breath that address saliva production include sipping water all day (especially after drinking coffee or eating meals) and skipping sugary sodas or anything that disrupts the mouth’s pH. You might also want to try a sugar-free ph-balanced mouth spray! This is especially great for those with braces who can’t chew gum but unfortunately have even more nooks and crannies for bacteria that cause bad breath to hide away.
Other home remedies for fresh breath, some of which may be only anecdotally effective, include:
- Chewing parsley
- Drinking pineapple juice
- Drinking green tea or mint tea
- Eating foods that combat sulfur compounds in the mouth like apples and oranges
When to See a Dentist
If your oral hygiene is on point, and you brush, floss, and scrape regularly, hydrate often, and try to avoid trigger foods and drinks, but your breath is still bad, it may be time to see a dentist because you might be suffering from bad breath due to another reason, like gum disease, tooth decay, or a medical condition.
