Bad breath is a pretty embarrassing problem to have, as some people may not even realize that the problem exists despite brushing the teeth and taking care of general hygiene. Well, you may not have to worry about it any longer because this article will show you how to cure bad breath.
Before diving into the solution, it is important that we understand what causes bad breath in the first place. It’s the best way to avoid it in the future.
What Causes Bad Breath?
Bad breath, otherwise known as halitosis, is caused by volatile molecules in the mouth. Those molecules can be pathological as well as non-pathological and the origin can be both non-oral and oral. Halitosis can lower self-confidence and have an impact on a patient’s psyche.
As much as 50% of the entire population has had to deal with this problem and can be said to have halitosis at least once.
The truth is that the problem most likely originates from poor oral hygiene. Although you might be taking care of your oral hygiene now, you only have to slip up for half a day to run into the problem. Multiple studies showed that 90% of halitosis cases were caused by poor oral hygiene, throat infections, tongue coat, uncleaned dentures, etc. Other causes vary from case to case.
With that said, if you don’t have an issue with halitosis, maintaining good hygiene is what you must do in order to prevent it.
Now, let’s continue to the interesting part and find out how to cure bad breath.
How to Eliminate Bad Breath
There are plenty of natural remedies that are proven very helpful with the bad breath problem. They are quite easy to use and have no side effects whatsoever.
1. Warm Salt Water
Since bacteria are our number one enemy here, we must make sure that they don’t make the insides of the mouth their home.
A saline solution (salt water rinse) might be all that it takes. Salt water is slightly acidic, which can prevent bacteria from building up in your mouth and take care of bad breath by neutralizing the environment’s alkalinity. This is efficient because bacteria thrive in higher pH or alkaline surroundings.
2. Zinc
Zinc is one of the most important elements that our bodies use in everyday functions.
Besides from the effect that zinc has on the DNA, gut and mouth flora, it is also found that zinc prevents the buildup of VSCs, short for volatile sulfur compounds. It’s the bacteria that produce VSCs, the source of bad breath, and zinc is a good home remedy for rectifying the problem.
What you can try is something like a zinc chewing gum or a zinc mouthwash.
Zinc can improve the overall immune system restore balance.
As for “balance”, there is a limit to how much you can take.
You can safely take anywhere from 4 to 25 milligrams of zinc every 2 to 3 hours. Do not go over that without talking to your doctor.
3. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a plant extract that has powerful antibacterial properties. For example, Aloe Vera is an excellent tool for plaque reduction. It will improve your mouth’s healing ability due to its effect on collagen.
What you can do here is mix Aloe Vera gel in boiling water, and then wait for it to cool and use as a mouthwash.
4. Digestive Enzymes
As mentioned, 90% of bad breath cases are caused by poor oral hygiene; but what if you belong to the other 10%?
The most common cause of halitosis in the 10% group is the digestive system. If that’s the case, then digestive enzymes could do the trick.
You can take animal and plant-based enzymes that include betaine, bromelain, papain, HCL, etc.
5. Powerful Mix
Did you know that some crunchy food can actually clean your teeth and make them stronger? This new trick for dealing with bad breath is a tasty one.
Apples are fantastic for controlling food odors as it is rich in pectin. Research shows just how important apples are for the teeth.
Besides from apples, cinnamon is excellent for its antimicrobial properties. Our third ingredient is yogurt. Yogurt helps with the odor caused by bacteria in the mouth. These are our three main ingredients (though there are more).
What you should do is mix all of these ingredients together. Here is how.
You will need 1 cup of apple chunks, 1 cup of diced celery, 5 tablespoons of yogurt, ground cinnamon, ½ cup of dried cranberries and ½ cup of crushed walnuts.
Mix all of these ingredients together in a large bowl, add yogurt and voila! You have a tasty and healthy new meal.
This is a pretty simple yet very powerful bad breath removal trick.
6. Green Tea
It has been found that green tea reduces malodor. Although temporary, there are those who successfully treated halitosis with green tea alone. Green tea is rich in antioxidants, so it has a powerful antibacterial effect.
You can drink up to 5 cups of green tea per day, but don’t go overboard.
Other helpful strategies against bad breath include:
- Drinking a lot of water throughout the day. This is especially good for morning breath problems.
- Brushing your teeth after each and every meal.
- Removing dentures at night and cleaning them regularly.
- Getting a new toothbrush every 3 months.
In case the problem still persists, you might try one of the products tested in this research study.
The Final Verdict
Now that you know how to cure bad breath, it is time to take action. Try some of these methods out and be persistent. The problem won’t go away just like that, so you need to be patient.
Once you’ve gotten rid of this annoying problem, remember to maintain your hygiene as bad breath can easily find its way back.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4006208/
https://www.drstevenlin.com/14-ways-to-get-rid-of-bad-breath-naturally/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4006208/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4415245/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11878757
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3633265/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3917206/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1570844/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/white-seeber-grogan-the-remedy-chicks/ways-fight-bad-breath-naturally/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6051571/
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