10 Tips To Prevent Bad Breath

Is your breath smelling more funky than fresh? Chances are, you’ve got a plethora of odor-producing bacteria having a field day in your mouth—particularly on the back of your tongue—which is the most common cause of bad breath.

Are you desperately looking for some magical tricks that can prevent bad breath and give a feeling of freshness? To cure bad breath, you must have tried so many remedies, but maybe nothing worked so far. Try some of the marvelous tips given below, which can give an everlasting relief from this medical disorder:

1. Clean your tongue. Along with brushing and flossing twice a day, also use a tongue scraper, available at most drugstores, or brush your tongue. That’s because your tongue has millions of filaments that can trap food particles and bacteria, leading to oral odor.
2. Drinking plenty of water. Bad breath occurs because of anaerobic bacteria that break down sugar and protein into volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs). These broken compounds create foul smells that can cause bad breath. In general, anaerobic bacteria require dry conditions to thrive speedily. Drinking plenty of water changes the environment required for the growth and development of the anaerobic bacteria.  Water helps to dilute the concentration of volatile sulphur compounds. To prevent bad breath, you must carry a bottle of water everywhere.
3. Chew sugarless gum. Surprising as it sounds, saliva is the best defense against bad breath. A common cause of halitosis is dry mouth, which can be triggered by certain medications and health problems. If you’re wondering why morning breath can be smelly, that’s because saliva flow is lower during sleep. Chewing gum counteracts these problems by stimulating salivation. What’s more, gum containing the sugar substitute xylitol may help reduce cavity-causing bacteria, a recent study suggests. 
4. Avoid using commercial mouthwashes. Dry mouth is an ideal condition for the growth of anaerobic bacteria. Most of commercial mouthwashes contain unnecessary ingredients such as flavor and color to lure many customers. In addition, the presence of alcohol enhances the harmful effect of anaerobic bacteria. Continuous use of such mouthwashes can create chronic bad breath, which is difficult to treat. At times, commercial mouthwashes have various health hazards.
5. Scent your breath with cinnamon. Unlike other flavorings, such as mint, which only mask bad breath, cinnamon appears to have odor-combating compounds, with a study presented at the annual meeting of International Association for Dental Research reporting that the cinnamon-flavored gum, Big Red, seems to reduce odor-causing bacteria. In the study, people who chewed the gum had a more than 50 percent drop in bacteria levels.
6. Fresh fruits and green vegetables. Eat fruits and vegetables, such as apple, celery, cucumber and carrot, which are natural mouth cleaners. These natural products can remove food and plaque particles that stay between teeth and gum while eating. Such a type of cleaning process is called auto-floss. It hampers the growth of anaerobia bacteria by increasing saliva in the mouth. In addition, these foods can also improve oral health. Therefore, you should increase regular consumption of fruits and vegetables.
7. Pay attention to your diet. An unfortunate side effect of a low-carb diet, such as the Atkins plan, can be “dragon breath” due to ketosis (the fat-burning state that is one of the goals of this type of diet).  The only cure is increasing carbs, though chewing mint leaves or parsley can temporarily mask the problem. Also watch out for other foods that can trigger mouth odor, such as coffee, alcohol, and such obvious culprits as onions and garlic. 
8. Natural antibiotic. Nature is a huge treasury, especially notable natural herbs such as parsley, aloe vera and olive is easily available anywhere.  Chewing parsley can effectively reduce bad breath as well as detoxify the mouth. These herbs are a rich source of chlorophyll, which sweetens the mouth. Not only this, they also enhance saliva which can prevent dry mouth. Make your own mouthwash with aloe vera, which is easily available in your herbal store. After brushing teeth, use two tablespoons of diluted aloe vera with a glass of water. Use the solution to gargle your mouth regularly.
9. Rule out medical problems. 90 percent of the time, halitosis is triggered by microbes in the mouth. Common dental causes include cavities, gum disease (which may not cause any obvious symptoms other than bad breath), and faulty tooth restorations that have become a breeding ground for bacteria. However, if you have good oral health—and persistent halitosis—check with your doctor, since such illnesses as respiratory tract infections, diabetes, acid reflux disease, liver disease and even cancer, in rare cases, can also cause mouth odor, cautions Dr. Mitchell. One of the best ways to protect your oral health—and keep your breath fresh—is to avoid tobacco use, which greatly increases risk for gum disease and oral cancer.
10. Consult an oral care expert. Bad breath might be because of oral diseases such as Candida infection and gum disease. If you have any of these diseases, you must see a dentist.  In case of halitosis, you should immediately consult an oral care provider.  At times, you should avoid improper mercury fillings by dentist. Otherwise, such things can affect your oral health.