For most people, bad breath isn’t a serious issue in their lives, but for those with chronic halitosis, keeping bad breath under control is an everyday battle. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do on your own to help alleviate your condition. Here are some strategies that you can easily take to help ward off bad breath:
Eating a Healthy Breakfast
In addition to the dietary benefits of eating breakfast, it can also help with halitosis. Breakfast helps dislodge bacteria at the back of the tongue and gets saliva flowing in your mouth to help wash away bacteria that have built up over night.
Maintaining Proper Oral Hygiene
The most obvious thing you can do is make sure that you are brushing at least twice a day, flossing every day, and regularly seeing a dentist. For most people, just doing this will help cut down on the bacteria in your mouth and keep bad breath at bay. For sufferers of chronic halitosis, it’s absolutely necessary in order to keep bad breath at a minimum. Another important practice to remember is to make sure that you’re cleaning your tongue to get rid of bacteria. An antibacterial tongue spray can help fight persistent bacteria on the tongue.
Stimulating Saliva with Gum, Lozenges, or Herbs
While it isn’t advisable to chew gum often, chewing a piece of sugarless gum once in a while will help get saliva glands working and reduce bad breath. If you suffer from Xerostomia, or chronic dry mouth, using specially formulated lozenges is a great way to get saliva flowing. If you prefer to go the all-natural route, chewing on fresh parsley and mint has been used for centuries to alleviate bad breath and is still considered an effective alternative to chewing gum.
Lifestyle Changes
Living a healthy lifestyle is also an important part of managing chronic halitosis. Smoking and eating unhealthy, sugary foods will only worsen the condition or could even be the main contributing factor. Even not drinking enough water, leading to dry mouth, can help reduce bad breath.
Visiting a Professional
There are many things that could be causing chronic halitosis, from genetic issues, to diseases, to medications you may be on. There is even the possibility of a more serious underlying medical issue. Without visiting a breath specialist, you may not be able to identify the source of your chronic halitosis, or even verify that you have chronic halitosis. A professional will help you to identify the cause of your bad breath and outline the necessary steps to take to alleviate it. At the Center for Breath Treatment patients undergo a thorough examination and assessment to determine the extend of their halitosis problem and the causes of their condition.
About the author: Dr. Anthony Dailley is a practicing dentist that specializes in halitosis treatment. He has been practicing since 1981 and graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in Cell & Molecular Biology, and obtained his dental degree from the Pacific School of Dentistry. Dr. Dailley founded the Center for Breath Treatment in the San Francisco Bay Area and conducts research on curing halitosis. Dr. Dailley has also been a founder in a biotech company called NovaBay Pharmaceuticals and on their board of directors from 1997 -2014.