Are you suffering from bad breath? Here’s what you can do

Do you often have to reach out for mints and chewing gums, while making a close conversation? Do you often find yourself checking your breath when making conversations in a closed space? Do you retreat as you talk when someone is standing too close to you?

If you are mentally ticking all these points mentioned above, we guess this article is for you.

Bad breath is especially embarrassing if your spouse or your partner crouches away from your side, very stealthily and you can make out that it is your breath that has done the job. Bad breath is also known as ‘Halitosis’ in medical terms.

Here are the causes and prevention for your malodour--thank us later.

The route to a better-smelling mouth begins by brushing your teeth twice a day. If you do not follow this age-old advice, don’t be surprised when the food you had last night can still be smelled on your breath the next day.

Poor dental hygiene is the main reason behind a breath that keeps everyone away from you.

From bacteria that feed on the residue stuck in your teeth or left behind to plaque along your gums, the fermentation of food and production of substances leads to bad breath.

This may come as a surprise. Yes, when your mouth is dry, your breath turns stinky. The reason behind this is pretty simple, your saliva is the cleanser of mouth and washes away the food particles stuck in your mouth.

Dry mouth can be caused by not having enough water or it may even be a result of certain medications that you are taking.

Gingivitis is also known as the disease of the gum. The telltale sign that you are suffering from gingivitis is having a persistent bad taste like feeling in your mouth.

Also, if you have ruled out dry mouth and poor health hygiene as plausible reasons for your malodour, it may be the disease of gums to be blamed.

Are you fasting or are you often on crash diets? You may be surprised to know that your erratic diets and low carbohydrate food could be blamed for that bad breath. In addition to this, foods like onion, garlic and even your beloved cup of coffee can cause your breath to stink.

Even some Indian spices may cause the terrible smell to linger on long after you have had your food.

When the undigested food in your stomach, regurgitated bile and stomach acid flow backwards, it is known as acid reflux. It may also cause malodour

The simplest way of knowing that you have a pungent smelling odour coming from your mouth is by licking the inner surface of your wrist and letting it dry. Smell it after a few seconds and if it smells bad, there you go!

Brush your teeth twice a day

We know it is a very cliche advice, but do you really follow it? Brushing your teeth twice a day is very crucial in keeping your breath smelling good.

Again something very basic but you really need to clean your tongue thoroughly and make sure to get rid of all the white substance, as the rough area of your tongue may hide bacteria resulting in bad breath.

What to do in case of an emergency?

Mouthwash

While mouthwashes can help you mask your bad breath for a short duration of time, in a case of emergency, but they don’t help you in the longer run.

If you think you have a case of dry mouth, drinking plenty of water may relieve you of the bad breath issue. Also, eat healthy food that requires you to chew; this will get your saliva flowing.

If you are not able to pin down the reason behind your bad breath, it may be the time to visit your doctor.

In case of emergencies like an important meeting or a party, chewing cardamom may prove helpful to mask your breath for the while being, but it isn't a permanent solution.

You need to wait at least two to three hours before laying down, if you have just had food. It will help you counter the bad breath caused by acid reflux.