Bad Breath Natural Remedies that are Effective Long Term

Bad Breath or halitosis has plagued humankind for centuries.

The Academy of General Dentistry estimates that more than 80 million people in America suffer from chronic bad breath. In most cases bad breath originates in the mouth from the teeth, gums and tongue.

It is often caused by food particles caught between the teeth or on the tongue tat are not removed by cleaning your teeth properly.

It can also be caused by tooth decay, gum disease and various medical conditions.

Eating spicy foods and ingredients that have odors such as garlic can also cause bad breath.

Most bad breath is caused by the various waste products (sulphur based compounds) produced by bacteria in the mouth that break down food particles left in the mouth due to poor oral hygiene and diet.

Some people are more likely to have bad breath than others and it can be triggered by stress, snoring, dieting, old-age and various hormonal changes.

This article reviews the causes of bad breath and the methods you can use to tell if you have bad breath.

It also reviews the various ways you can use to prevent bad breath and the various natural home remedies available for curing it.

Bad breath often develops from poor oral hygiene, especially associated with a dirty tongue. Greater attention to detail when cleaning you mouth and tongue and improvements in your diet often helps. Source: Public Domain

How to Test If you Have Bad Breath

One peculiarly thing about bad breath is that you can't smell it yourself and so you my be totally unaware of it, unless someone else tells you about it.

Your body becomes acclimated (gets used to) and you cannot detect it even when you breathe into your hand and smell your own breath.

So how can you reliably know if you have bad breath?

The best way is to ask an understanding friend or relative about it. But there are a number of self testing methods that do work:

The Cotton Wipe Test - Wipe a piece of cotton gauze over the upper surface of your tongue and smell it. This is probably the best way to find out what people nearby are smelling.

The 'Lick to Back of Your Hand' Test - Simply lick the back of your hand with the upper surface of your tongue. Let the saliva on your hand dry for about 10 seconds and then smell it. If there is an odor, you may have bad breath because some of the sulfur compounds causing bad breath on your tongue have been transferred to your hand.

The Dental Floss Test for Tooth Derived Odors - Run a section of dental floss through the gaps in your back teeth. This will be where food particles such as slivers of meat may have been lodged and have stated to break down causing odors. Smell the floss for any signs of odors people nearby maybe smelling.

The Tongue in the Mirror Test - Get in front of a mirror and poke your tongue out as far as you can. If the upper back part of your tongue is whitish or yellowish, this may be a sign that these deposits on your tongue may be causing bad breath.

The 'How do People React You' Test - Observe the reaction of people nearby when you get close to them. If people obviously are moving away and pulling faces you probably have bas breath.

Some dentists have a Halimeter, which is an instrument that measures the amount of sulfide compounds in a person's saliva and breath - The recommended threshold for bad breath is when the sulphide level exceeds about 80 parts per billion.

How to Prevent Bad Breath

The best prevention strategy is to pay special attention to your oral hygiene with focusing on thoroughly brushing, flossing, and cleaning your teeth gums and tongue. Oral hygiene helps stop the build-up of bacteria on the tongue, gums and teeth and removes the food particles that they feed upon. See your dentist regularly for a professional teeth clean and to address any tooth decay which may trigger bad breath.

Change your diet to avoid foods that can trigger bad breath such as garlic and many spices. It is obvious that smoking and tobacco can lead to bad breath.

Natural Remedies for Bad Breath

Drink lots of water in order to keep your mouth moist. Chewing sugarless gum and sucking on candies stimulates the saliva production in your mouth which also helps wash away the food particles and bacteria.
Keep a record of the food that you eat and test to see which types may be triggering bad breath. This may be more than obvious causes such as garlic but may be related to your general diet and the balance between vegetables, fruit and various types of meat.
Also check whether the medication you are taking may be the cause.
Chewing sugar-free gum can help reduce bad breath because of the mint taste and chewing the gum increases the flow of saliva that washes away food particles and helps clean your teeth and gums.
Some mouth rinses work better than others and the relief may be very temporary. Research has shown that commercial mouthwashes mask odors only for 20 minutes or so and only mask the bad odor. Mouth washes containing alcohol can dry the mouth out, which may worsen the bad breath. Despite the claims these products don't kill all bacteria in the mouth and so prevent it. A new batch of bacteria crops up fairly quickly even if the mouth wash kills some of them.
Make sure you clean your tongue as well as your teeth and gums.
Mints, mouth-fresheners and chewing gums can temporarily mask the problem. Pro-biotics can help of your bad breath is derived from poor digestion. Gastric reflux can also cause bad breath, as well a frequent burping.
The bad breath many people have when they wake up in the morning is caused by a dry mouth. To prevent this clean your tongue and teeth before you go to bed and drink lots of water.
Drink green tea regularly.
Rinse your mouth using a small amount of line or lemon juice mixed with water.
Use a mouthwash that includes essential oils such as lemon oil, tea tree oil or peppermint oil which have been shown to be more effective than conventional mouthwash.
Chew on herbs to freshen your breath - such as fresh parsley, spearmint, rosemary or tarragon for up to a minute, especially after eating onions, garlic or fish.
Avoid mouthwashes with alcohol.
Get help managing your stress levels as this is a major cause of bad breath for many people.