Stop Being Embarrassed of Your Bad Breath
Talking to someone with bad breathe is the worst. It is disgusting, unhygienic and, sometimes, unavoidable. Even though the person on the receiving end of the funk may not be able to imagine how the guy with the breath dysfunction is so unaware of his problem, the truth is that many people really don’t know they are spewing such a smell from their mouths. They probably brush their teeth and figure that is enough, but that’s where they are wrong.
Bad breath is caused by something called volatile sulfur compounds that are caused by bacteria in your mouth, mainly on your tongue. In order to completely abolish your bad breath there are some specific steps you should take to clean up your mouth.
Wash Your Tongue
Your tongue is a great place for the bacteria that can cause pungent breath to fester. If you scrub your tongue with your toothbrush than you will be able to remove a lot of that bacteria, but a special device called a tongue scraper is an even better approach. This will ensure that you are taking the bacteria off the tongue, rather than just moving it around with your brush.
Brush AND Floss
We all know to brush twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. However, most of us just floss at night, not taking care to do the same step in the morning as well. Flossing is just as important as brushing, since it can dislodge trapped food particles that can cause volatile sulfur compounds. Clearing out those microorganisms is key to keeping a fresh smelling mouth.
Drink Lots of Water
Not only will drinking plenty of water help wash away gross smelling scents like coffee breath and onion breath, but it will keep your mouth hydrated. Dry mouth can cause dead cells to accumulate on your tongue, gums and cheeks, causing nasty smelling breath. If your saliva is not there to wash away these dead cells, then mouth bacteria will eat the cells and grow and grow, intensifying the bad breath process. Drinking water will help continue to clear away the cells, basically washing away the bacteria’s food source. However, if your breath is really rancid, you may need some reinforcements other than plain water. A mouthwash such as Biotene can help moisten your mouth, clear away the gunk and leave your breath fresher than it was before.