6 Ways to Prevent Bad Breath

If you’ve ever gone to a job interview, party, or other events, and have worried about having bad breath, you know how hard this can be on your confidence. While everyone gets halitosis from time to time, there are several ways to treat the issue and make sure it doesn’t come back. To help you, Dr. Hamby, a leading Fuquay Varina dentist, is sharing seven ways to prevent bad breath so you can step out with confidence.

What Causes Bad Breath?

First, let’s look at what causes bad breath so you have a better idea of how to prevent it. The primary cause for immediate, temporary halitosis is food. Onions and garlic are the primary offenders, and even once you digest them, the chemical compounds are in your bloodstream, where they enter your lungs and affect the odor of your breath temporarily.

Long-term, or chronic halitosis is caused by poor dental hygiene. As food breaks down in your mouth, bacteria forms as plaque on the teeth and in spaces in soft tissue, such as the tonsils, tongue, and soft palate. These bacteria often cause a foul odor.

Other factors include:

• Smoking
• Dry mouth as saliva helps cleanse and rinse away odor-causing particles and bacteria.
• Sinus inflammation
• Acid reflux
• Infection in the mouth caused by tooth decay or gum disease
• Medications that cause dry mouth.

7 Tips to Prevent Bad Breath

Now that you have a better idea of what causes halitosis, let’s look at how you can prevent it from happening.

Practice Good Dental Hygiene

This is the most effective way to prevent bad breath from occurring. Brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing daily is essential to removing food particles and plaque that are responsible for causing odors. This will also prevent cavities and decay that can lead to additional concerns.

Drink Plenty of Water

“Morning breath” is often caused by sleeping with your mouth open, allowing your mouth to get dry and leading to bacteria building up. Drinking water will help keep your mouth rinsed of particles, enhance saliva production, and lead to a healthier mouth overall.

Avoid Tobacco Products

Tobacco, especially smoking, leads to bad breath all on its own. However, it is compounded by drying out your mouth and thickening the saliva, allowing bacteria to thrive and cause odors.

Watch What You Eat

As we mentioned above, certain foods like onions and garlic, and certain spices will lead to pungent odors. Everything you eat breaks down and is absorbed into your bloodstream, with particularly strong odors making their presence known long after lunch has ended! If you love onions and garlic, try to balance out their presence with plenty of water and eat fruits and vegetables with higher water content.

Keep Sugar-Free Gum Nearby

If your mouth is healthy, and you’re just concerned about freshening your breath before a meeting or party, chew a piece of sugar-free gum or have a sugar-free mint. This won’t help chronic concerns of halitosis, but it will clear up any leftover odors from lunch.

Visit Your Dentist

If you’re concerned about chronic bad breath, it’s important to see your dentist immediately. Let him or her know of any medication you’re taking to rule out issues, but otherwise, a checkup should get to the source of the problem.

Schedule a Checkup with a Dentist in Fuquay Varina Today

Laugh, talk, and live with confidence when you know you have fresh, healthy breath, and we can help you achieve that goal. Schedule a checkup and teeth cleaning today by calling our office at  919-552-2431 or filling out the appointment request form below.