Undoubtedly, bad breath is unpleasant for people interacting with you in close quarters, and sensing this can negatively affect your confidence at work or school. It may affect your personal life too. Many don’t even know their breath smells bad until someone points it out. So, when you know your breath smells bad, you need to fix it. Luckily, here are a few natural remedies you can try at home to eliminate bad breath and wear your confidence back. Here we go.
Natural Remedies To Combat Bad Breath
1. Brush twice a day
The most basic and important is to brush your teeth twice a day for two to three minutes at a time. Use a soft-bristled brush and take care to brush every tooth properly. Don’t forget to massage your gums gently with one of your fingers.
2. Brush your teeth after you eat
The breakdown of food particles after eating may cause a foul odour. So, in case of a bad breath, it is important to brush your teeth after a meal as well. You can carry a toothbrush with you to use at work for this purpose.
3. Floss every day
Food particles stuck in between teeth may also cause bad breath. Daily flossing is a wonderful remedy to remove such food particles and plaque between your teeth and thus prevent bad breath.
4. Scrape your tongue
While brushing your teeth, you must also clean your tongue. Bacteria may collect toward the back of your tongue, so use soft bristles to brush your tongue gently. Or, a flexible tongue scraper will also do.
5. Clean your dentures
If you are wearing bridge, partial, or complete dentures, you must clean them well at least once a day to combat bad breath.
- Also Read: Oral Health Importance: Know Why Your Oral Health Is More Than A Good Smile And Good Teeth!
6. Drink plenty of water
Dry mouth is often a cause of bad breath, so drink adequate water to keep your mouth moist, which helps wash down food particles and bacteria. Also, do not consume too much caffeine, soft drinks or alcohol, as all of these dehydrate your body.
7. Avoid certain foods
Foods such as garlic, onions, and hot peppers tend to leave a lingering smell in your mouth for quite some time. So limiting such strong foods is one of the effective natural remedies that can help reduce bad breath.
8. Pineapple after a meal
Chewing on a piece of pineapple after a meal brings down a foul odour in your mouth and hence improves bad breath. Drinking a cup of pineapple juice also does the job.
9. Chew gum
As mentioned earlier, a dry mouth can make your breath smell bad. So, chewing gum or sucking on mint (choose sugarless) can stimulate saliva and is a popular natural remedy to fight bad breath. However, if you have chronic dry mouth syndrome, you must visit your dentist.
10. Chew on cardamom or fresh parsley
Chewing a couple of pods of cardamom or a few fresh parsley for a few minutes is another great natural remedy to get rid of bad breath. Studies show that cardamom can eliminate certain bacteria in your mouth cavity.
11. Chew on cumin or fennel seeds
After your meal, you may also try chewing roasted cumin seeds or fennel seeds to improve bad breath. In fact, fennel is a popular mouth freshener in many parts of the world.
12. Oil pulling
This ancient Ayurveda practice improves oral health and combats bad breath. Oil pulling every morning after brushing your teeth eliminates bacteria and improves bad breath.
13. Triphala mouth rinse
Ayurveda advises Triphala mouth rinse to improve bad breath.
Triphala is an Ayurvedic herbal formulation containing Amlaki, Bibhitaki, and Haritaki. Mix 1/2 teaspoon Triphala powder in a glass of warm water and rinse your mouth well, just as you would with a mouthwash.
Bottom line
Bad breath is, of course, an embarrassing problem. But you can get rid of it by trying out natural remedies that work for you. However, if none of these remedies improves your foul-smelling breath, it is time to fix an appointment with your doctor or dentist as some underlying medical condition might be causing your bad breath.
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