What Are The Natural Remedies For Bad Breath?

Bad breath, also called halitosis, can occur due to poor oral hygiene. However, it can also result from health conditions such as dry mouth, heartburn, and other body parts problems. The treatment for bad breath relies on the underlying cause.

Bad Breath Explained

The medical term for bad breath is halitosis. Occasionally everyone can develop bad breath after eating onions, garlic, and spicy foods. Unfortunately, persistent bad breath that does not subside indicates you might have chronic halitosis, indicating you might have an oral issue or problems affecting other body parts.

Bad breath is a symptom of different conditions. It is similar to a warning message from your body. Identifying the root cause of the problem is the initial step in dealing with the issue.

How Widespread Is Bad Breath?

Bad breath affects 25 percent of the population globally. Studies from 13 medical journals state that halitosis affects 31.8 percent of people globally.

Symptoms of Bad Breath

Bad breath causes a foul-smelling odor that does not subside. The foul smell may be noticeable to other people. You may not realize you have halitosis unless a friend or family member notices it. Bad breath is embarrassing and can also cause anxiety. You may try to hide bad breath by using mints, chewing gum, mouthwashes, and other products. However, these temporary measures do not address the root cause of the problem. Therefore if you think you have halitosis, it helps if you receive a dentist near you or try making lifestyle changes to overcome the problem.

How to Manage Halitosis?

You can use the below-mentioned natural remedies to manage halitosis. However, if the symptoms persist despite making changes, you must visit the dental office near you with your physician to determine the causes of the lousy odor.

Natural Remedies for Bad Breath

• Drinking Water: if you feel your mouth is drying, consider drinking water by avoiding carbonated drinks because they can dry your mouth. Saliva helps clean your mouth and inhibits foul-smelling bacteria from thriving.
• Rinsing With Warm Salt Water: another natural remedy to fight bad breath is gargling with warm salt water by mixing half a teaspoon of salt in eight ounces and swishing the mixture in your mouth for 30 seconds before spitting it out.
• Chewing Cloves: cloves can help freshen your breath instantly while battling against bacteria-causing cavities. Sucking on cloves a few times daily can help combat halitosis. However, you must refrain from using clove powder or oil to prevent burns in your mouth.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar instantly helps to eliminate bad breath from onion and garlic. You can add a generous quantity of vinegar to water and swish it in your mouth for 30 seconds before spitting it out.
• Fruits and Vegetables: eating fruits and vegetables also helps freshen your breath while eliminating bad breath. You can have apples, celery, and carrots acting as natural toothbrushes to help remove odor-causing bacteria from your teeth. Oranges containing vitamins C help increase saliva flow when battling bad breath.
• Alcohol-Free Mouthwash: if you have mouthwash at home, it likely contains alcohol because most OTC brands are not alcohol-free. Alcohol dries your mouth and is associated with bad breath. However, you can make your alcohol-free mouthwash at home with ingredients like cinnamon, lemon juice, honey, and baking soda and store them in a container. The DIY mouthwash will help against halitosis for approximately two weeks.
• Flossing Teeth: after meals, brushing and flossing your teeth helps eliminate food particles and plaque trapped between your teeth, the prime culprits for bad breath.
• Chew Sugar-Free Gum: do not consider chewing flavored gums; instead, opt for sugar-free chewing gum to help stimulate saliva production to clean your mouth of smelly bacteria and excess food particles.
• Tongue Cleaning: when brushing your teeth, do not neglect your tongue because it is a breeding ground for bacteria that make your breath smell foul. Gently scrub your tongue with your toothbrush and rinse your mouth soon after.

The natural remedies described do not indicate a visit to the dentist in Winter Haven becomes unnecessary. Whether you succeed with the natural therapies or not, you must schedule an appointment with the dentist to ascertain whether other health problems are causing the lousy breath. If the dentist suspects you have a health issue, they will refer you to your physician for further evaluation.

If you are concerned with your bad breath, you can try the abovementioned natural remedies. However, a meeting with Winter Haven Dental is also essential to determine the root cause of the problem. Therefore kindly do not hesitate to arrange an appointment with the dentist to understand the reasons for the lousy odor in your mouth.