There is nothing worse than someone gently telling you that your breath stinks. Quite frankly, it’s one of the most embarrassing things to find out about yourself.

What causes bad breath?

There are a lot of reasons that your breath may not smell like roses. One of the most common is dental hygiene. If you don’t brush or floss your teeth everyday, you’re a prime candidate for bad breath. Bacteria growing between your teeth makes for a not-so-nice scent. Bad breath (also known as halitosis) may also be one of the warning signs of the onset of gum disease.

Certain foods (like milk, some cheeses, garlic, onion, etc.) may also contribute. Even other diseases and illness, such as a liver problem, infections and pneumonia, can be the underlying cause of bad breath.

Home remedies to treat bad breath

Try a tea made of cloves to neutralize bacteria. Just take a few whole cloves or a small spoonful of the crushed variety, put it in a tea ball and steep it in hot water for about 10 minutes. If you don’t like the taste, simply gargle with it after brushing your teeth.

That parsley you get on your plate the next time you go out, don’t waste it! Chewing parsley is a great way to freshen breath. In fact, this is one of the oldest breath freshening remedies on the books! Ingesting the leaves will leave your breath smelling sweet even hours after the fact.

Most of the foul-smelling bacteria that cause bad breath accumulate on your tongue. A good tongue scraping, either with an actual tongue scraper or just a tooth brush, can instantly sweeten your breath.

Drink lots of water! Bad breath is often found in people with dry mouth. So the more water you drink, the more hydrated you are and the more saliva you produce. Saliva cleans your mouth of the odor-causing bacteria that’s festering there.

Recent studies have also found that yogurt is a good way to combat bad breath. The good bacteria found in your cup of Yoplait take out the odor-causing bacteria inside your mouth. This is probably one of the best-tasting bad breath remedies available.

But nothing beats the dentist

While home remedies help you keep bad breath in check, it is always good to see your dentist every six months for a cleaning. This will remove plaque, one of the leading causes of bad breath. Cavities and gum disease are also some pretty heinous bad breath invokers, and your dentist can help treat those problems (if you have them) as well.
-Magdalena

Do you have remedies for bad breath? Comment and tell us about it!

Share this post!