Bad breath, also called halitosis, can be more than embarrassing -- it can also be a sign of a serious medical condition. The MedlinePlus website of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health notes that halitosis can have causes ranging from dental problems to medications to sinus or throat infections. While working with your physician to discover and remedy the root of your breath odor, you can use several strategies to reduce the scent.
Step 1
Improve your dental health habits since dental conditions, such as gingivitis and tooth decay, can cause bad breath. MayoClinic.com recommends having your teeth cleaned by a dental health professional, brushing your teeth twice a day with toothpaste and a soft toothbrush that you replace every three months and cleaning between your teeth with a plaque-reducing rinse, dental floss or a dental pick.
Step 2
Reduce the build-up on your tongue that can cause smelly breath. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library suggests brushing your tongue with your toothbrush and toothpaste when you clean your teeth or scraping the bacteria and food particles away from the surface of your tongue with a tongue scraper.
Step 3
Increase the moisture in your mouth to combat dryness that can produce bad breath. MayoClinic.com recommends sipping water instead of soft drinks, alcoholic beverages or coffee that may dry out your mouth. Chewing sugarless gum, eating sugarless hard candy or using a saliva substitute to boost saliva production can also help reduce the bacteria that can cause bad breath, according to MayoClinic.com.
Step 4
Fight bad breath throughout the day by chewing on something that can reduce the odor. MedlinePlus suggest using mints, fresh parsley or flavored gum, for instance.
Step 5
Curb bad habits and change your eating habits to eliminate foods and beverages that can affect the smell of your breath. MayoClinic.com suggests avoiding smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages and eating spicy foods such as onions and garlic that can generate breath odor.
Tips and Warnings
- Avoid relying on mouthwash to treat bad breath. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library notes that swishing your mouth out with mouthwash may only mask the odor for approximately 20 minutes before the breath odor returns.
- Talk to your physician if your methods to reduce halitosis are ineffective. MedlinePlus also recommends consulting a doctor if you have persistent bad breath without a common reason, such as smoking or eating spicy foods, or if your bad breath accompanies such respiratory disorder symptoms such as a cough, fever, nasal discharge or a face that's painful to the touch. MedlinePlus notes that a doctor can help determine the underlying cause for the breath odor by smelling your breath for tell-tale scents, such as a sweet scent that can indicate diabetes, an ammonia smell that may reveal kidney problems or a foul odor that may suggest a bowel obstruction.
Things You'll Need
- Toothpaste and toothbrush
- Mouth rinse, dental floss or dental picks
- Tongue scraper
- Water
- Sugarless gum or candy
- Saliva substitute
- Mints or fresh parsley
