A comment from your loved one or that bad taste in your mouth may have you eager to learn how to cure bad breath fast! We’re here to explain what causes bad breath and how you can eliminate it. So forget hesitating when someone is close, and speak with confidence by curing bad breath permanently. Read on to learn from our dental experts on how to cure bad breath fast.

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Common Causes of Bad Breath

Ever wondered what causes bad breath? Here are the common culprits:
Sleep – When you sleep, saliva movement comes to an almost halt, dramatically reducing cleansing and renewal. Thus, when laid stagnant, bacteria can grow in your mouth and create that infamous morning breath.
Periodontal (gum) disease – An infection of the gums that breaks down tissue and teeth, creating a foul aroma in the process.
Cavities – Dental cavities can create an odor from the bacteria positioned inside the cavities.
Tobacco products – Amongst other health problems, smoke dries the mouth, causing bad breath.
Foods – Certain foods may release odor-causing compounds.
Dieting – Ketones are released in the breath when the body burns fats. This commonly occurs during exercise.
Ear, nose, & throat issues – Allergies, chronic sinus infection, postnasal drip, tonsillitis, bronchitis, and respiratory infection are all causes of halitosis.

Now that you know the causes of bad breath, you can learn how to eliminate bad breath. Here are easy steps you can implement to get rid of bad breath:

REGULAR FLOSSING & BRUSHING

You’ve heard it before, brush two minutes, twice a day. It’s not only for the good of your oral health, but great hygiene is your best defense against bad breath. So be sure to brush for a full two minutes (set a timer!) twice a day, and floss at least once a day. Preferably with an electric, rotating head toothbrush – Dr. Jess recommends this one. Spend 30 seconds brushing each quadrant of your mouth, coming in contact with all chewing surfaces of your teeth. Floss at night to remove any food debris – this keeps bacteria growth to a minimum. And be sure to floss gently as you make your way up to the gum line, working the string back and forth as you hug each tooth with the floss.

TONGUE SCRAPER

Sometimes mouthwash and a toothbrush just won’t cut it – it’s time to take your tongue cleaning to the next level! Acting like carpet, your tongue holds onto biofilm, gunk of bad-smelling bacteria. Once the biofilm is removed, you can get rid of bad breath! Unfortunately, toothbrush brushing just moves your tongue’s bacteria around instead of removing it. A couple of passes with a tongue scraper can remove the smelly gunk on your tongue. Order Dr. Jess’ favorite tongue scraper here. You’ll notice less and less biofilm the more and more you use the scraper – don’t stop!

AVOIDING CERTAIN FOODS

Choose breath-friendly foods and beverages. Sugary foods and drinks, garlic, onions, coffee, and alcohol can all cause bad breath. But if you can’t avoid these foods and drinks, then counteract them by drinking plenty of water and rinsing out your mouth with water after each use. This process will protect your teeth and mouth by washing away food particles and increasing the saliva flow in your mouth.

Some foods cause bad breath and some foods help fight bad breath! Fibrous vegetables high in water content like carrots, celery, and apples work as natural toothbrushes, scrubbing plaque bacteria from the surfaces of your teeth. You’ll get your veggies in as you get fresher breath! Score.

USE AN ANTIMICROBIAL MOUTHWASH

Antimicrobial mouthwashes are much more effective than everyday mouthwashes. With a mild potency of antimicrobials, over-the-counter mouthwashes can only eliminate a small number of microbes or bacteria in the mouth. Prescription-based mouthwashes are powerful enough to knock out bacteria at an almost undetectable level. Used as directed by your dentist, an antimicrobial mouth can fast track you to a cleaner, fresher mouth. Book your appointment and see if you’re a candidate for an antimicrobial mouthwash prescription.

AVOIDING TOBACCO

There are many reasons to quit smoking. Preventing heart disease or lung cancer is number one. Eliminating bad breath is number two. Smoke alone is an unpleasant odor and can seep into your gum tissues to stay. To make matters worse, its drying effect dehydrates your mouth to create an environment that’s ideal for odor-causing bacteria to multiply and amplify bad breath. Give up the bad habit and enjoy more confidence and better health from the inside out.

VISIT ORA DENTAL

Showing up for yourself is showing up to your six-month dentist appointments. These vital visits are the best way to spot oral health problems like tooth decay and gum disease – two causes of chronic bad breath. During your appointment, we will remove plaque and tartar to deeply clean your teeth the way you can’t with an ordinary toothbrush and help protect your oral health. Fresh breath is just an appointment away!

If the following guide can’t get rid of bad breath, then you could be experiencing an underlying problem such as cavities, gum disease, and/or an ear-nose-throat- issue. It is imperative to visit a dentist to ensure your well-being. Our comprehensive dental care can address bad breath and any related issues so that your overall health is optimized.