Have you ever started talking to someone and they quickly made a disgusting face? You begin to feel self-conscious about your breath because the quality of your breath can make or break any interaction. Frantically, you scurry around in search of anything that will turn your breath from bad to good. Help!!!
On National Fresh Breath Day, August 6th, we encourage everyone to up their oral hygiene routine. When was the last time you brushed? How long did you brush for? Do you floss regularly? How is your gut health? All of these are pertinent questions if the goal is to maintain a fresh and healthy mouth. As many dentists have warned, poor oral hygiene can result in cavities, plaque build-up, tooth decay, or gum disease, all of which can contribute to bad breath. However, bad breath can also be a side effect of certain medications or an unhealthy gut.
What Causes Bad Breath?
Bad breath, also referred to as halitosis, affects about 25% of the world’s population. Some people can have a combination of bacteria, which break down food in the mouth, and decaying food, creating a foul odor. People who eat poor diets comprised of a lot of processed foods, refined grains, meats, and sugar can accumulate waste in the digestive tract, causing bad breath. Other causes of bad breath include smoking cigarettes, dry mouth, kidney disease, gastro-esophageal reflex disorder (GERD), or periodontal disease.
Tips To Keep Your Breath Fresh
Floss
This is an obvious answer that nobody wants to hear. Flossing is laborious and irritating, but it’s necessary to keep your mouth healthy. In order to make yourself floss, you have to make it easy on yourself. Leave your floss in plain sight in the bathroom, as opposed to stowing it away in a drawer or behind something in the medicine cabinet. Seeing your floss will register that you need to make it a part of your oral hygiene routine.
Stay Hydrated
If you haven’t figured it out by now, staying hydrated is the answer to a lot of problems. When you drink water, you promote saliva production and saliva works to protect the mouth from germs that cause bad breath.
Eat Some Parsley
We cannot stress enough that parsley is not merely a garnish that goes on your plate. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of parsley can help to keep your mouth clean and fresh. Thoroughly chew your parsley by itself to naturally freshen your breath and promote saliva production. Celery also works to produce saliva!
DIY Recipes To Keep Your Mouth Healthy
Whitening Toothpaste For Sparkly Teeth
Tea, coffee, and other beverages and foods can stain your teeth over time. Keep your teeth white by using this DIY toothpaste. It contains some of our favorite ingredients that naturally work to scrub your teeth clean.
Click here to make the recipe.
Turmeric Mouthwash To Clean Your Teeth
Make this easy DIY mouthwash that helps you fight off plaque and tooth decay. You won’t believe how refreshed your mouth will feel!
Click here to make the recipe.
Antibacterial Mouthwash To Get Rid Of Plaque
Here is a DIY mouthwash that helps to improve the health of your teeth. The best part is that it is free of alcohol and fluoride!
Click here to make the recipe.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
