We all get bad breath at one point or another in our lives. But if you feel like you’re constantly ashamed of breathing close to people… there might be ongoing problem you should look into.

There are many different causes for long-term or regular bad breath… even if you brush your teeth after you eat and use mouthwash.

For most of us, keeping our dental hygiene high will prevent most bad breath situations… but unfortunately, not all of them.

One cause is that some people have bigger cracks on their tongue then average. As a result, after you have eaten and brushed your teeth, sulfur will build up in an hour or so on your tongue and cause very bad breath, then you need to go to some washroom and scrape it off but within 30 to 60 minutes you will have to repeat that. 

Dehydration is another culprit — be sure to consume plenty of water throughout the day and try not to drink a lot of coffee, soft drinks or alcohol.

Drinks with caffeine contain high levels of acids which cause the odorous bacteria to reproduce more rapidly and create a bitter taste for many people.

Before we dig deeper into how you can take steps towards preventing bad breath from ruining your day… let’s look at how you can self-diagnose yourself… before your spouse or date does it for you!

How to self-diagnose bad breath

Most of the times we fail to observe that our breath can be foul-smelling to others. It’s always important to know that you have a problem and deal with it at the earliest before it starts bothering others. Use these tips to know if your breath smells:

• Lick on the inside of your wrist and wait for a couple of minutes. Once dry, try smelling the area. If it smells foul, you know you have a problem.
• Wipe your tongue with clean gauze. If the gauze is smelly, you know you have to take things beyond brushing.

Another trick you can do anywhere…is ball your hand into a loose fist – basically almost a fist, but just enough that there is a thin channel between your fingers and palm such that air can pass through.

Put your fist up to your mouth and exhale into it several times, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. 

Do this until your hand is very slightly damp from the moisture in your breath.

Bring your fist (still closed) quickly up to your nose and sniff.  If you have bad breath, it will be temporarily held by the moisture trapped amongst your palm.

Knowing you have bad breath is the first step towards preventing others from knowing it as well (which they won’t like).Now that you understand the symptoms… let’s talk about what you can do to make your breath smell like fresh mountain air!

How to prevent bad breath

As we mentioned earlier… most bad breath situations (with a few exceptions) can be prevented by following the advice below:

• Don’t be lazy to brush and floss, at least when you have a bad breath problem. If you are frequently on the move, always carry a travel toothbrush and paste with you.
• Clean your tongue as you brush. Most of the odor causing bacteria reside on the tongue surface especially at the back of your mouth.
• See your dentist frequently. Visiting him/her at least twice a year can detect problems beyond bad breath. Sometimes bad breath can be an indicator of other serious problems such as tooth or gum infections, abscesses or unclean dentures.
• Modify your diet and lifestyle. Include crisp fresh food that naturally cleans your mouth. Fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, lettuce, raw cucumbers etc. not only add antioxidants to your diet but also boost your oral health. Include probiotic yogurt in your diet to reduce the levels of bad breath causing sulfide compounds.
• Use herbs as breath fresheners. Chewing on raw parsley or mint leaves can freshen your breath in no time, especially after a spicy meal. Alternatively, you can chew on fennel seeds or cardamom pods to improve the quality of your breath.
• Certain foods need to be avoided at all costs if you suffer from bad breath. Coffee, sodas, alcohol and smoking are all detrimental for your health and may add to the problem.
• Keep yourself hydrated. Dehydration too can cause bad breath in many. Drinking water can also help flush out most of the food remnants that odor causing bacteria love. It also promotes saliva production which helps keep the mouth clean and fresh.
• Chewing gum (preferably sugarless) or sucking on candy (preferably sugarless) works to stimulate saliva, which washes away food particles and bacteria thus giving you fresher breath.
• An occasional swish of the mouth with water will really help, too.

Following all of these steps will almost guarantee you won’t have bad breath… even after eating a heavy, spicy meal with lots of garlic in it!

To get more information contact Green Meadow Dental, 3579B Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06111,  or call: (860)-865-0056.Families from Newington, Berlin, Meriden find the easy drive to Newington well worthwhile because or our expertise and modern facilities, our friendly dental team and the relaxing disposition of Dr. Mukund. We also service patients from areas including Hartford, Rocky Hill, Weathersfield and Cromwell.