1. Check Your Breath
If you struggle with bad breath, it may not be just the food you're eating. Although such foods as onions and garlic stay in your system longer and cause bad breath, studies show a connection between gum disease and bad breath. You may not always realize you have bad breath until an embarrassing situation occurs. There's a way to check your breath. Cup your hands in front of your mouth, covering your nose. Breathe deeply into your cupped hands and sniff. If your breath smells bad to you, it smells horrible to those around you.
2. Prevent Plaque
Halitosis (chronic bad breath) is often caused by gum disease. Food particles hide under your gums and create bacteria, which sit in your mouth and fester. Gingivitis (the first stage of gum disease) starts when these bacteria form plaque around your gum line. If left unchecked, your gums may become diseased, and then you're in a vicious cycle. The more gum disease, the worse your bad breath becomes.
3. Clean Your Pockets
Over time, gum disease forms pockets between your teeth and gums. These pockets (or little pouches) are a catchall for food particles and bacteria. The gunk formed by food particles and bacteria produces a foul odor, resulting in bad breath. If you often experience a bad taste in your mouth, you probably have bad breath. Only professional cleanings can remove the gunk from these pockets and prevent or cure gum disease.
4. Remove the Sticky Stink
Plaque is sticky and has no color. You may not even realize you have it until it forms tartar, which so hard only professional cleaning can remove it. Tartar sitting on your your gum line causes gum disease. Some beverages such as coffee cling to the sticky plaque. Coffee "brewing" on your plaque produces a strong case of bad breath.
5. Make a Routine
Just brushing your teeth is not enough to solve the problem of gum disease and bad breath. Healthy gums and a clean-smelling mouth require regular dental checkups and cleanings at least twice a year. At home, brush your teeth all the way to your gum line and floss your teeth at least twice a day. Use an antiseptic mouth rinse after brushing. A quick swish won't do, though. Time yourself so that you keep the mouth rinse in your mouth for at least 30 seconds to kill disease-causing germs.
