Bad breath is very unpleasant. But what to do about bad breath? What really helps? Here are the best home remedies and tips against bad breath.
Bad breath is an unpleasant topic with social and professional consequences for those affected as well as for their friends, acquaintances and work colleagues.
About one in four people suffer from persistent bad breath and often do not notice it themselves.
There are numerous ways you can identify and treat bad breath.
Here's the answer to the question: "What to do about bad breath?“
Table of contents
How bad breath develops and what role oral hygiene plays
Basically, there are several places where bad breath can originate.
On the one hand, this is the oral cavity, from where bad breath comes in 9 out of 10 cases. And on the other hand, the stomach and the throat and nose.
Bad breath in the mouth
In the mouth itself, there are several causes that can lead to bad breath. These are primarily bacteria. Certain foods can also cause bad breath.
So bad breath has many ways to develop ranging from food to bacteria to disease.
Bacteria as the cause of bad breath
The fact that you have bacteria in your mouth is nothing unusual at first. Each of us has about 800 to 1,000 different species in our mouths.
They decompose the food residues as well as cell waste. This produces foul-smelling residues such as volatile sulfur compounds, fatty acids and polyamines.
Brushing teeth does not always help against bad breath, because bacteria like to sit in interdental spaces, under ill-fitting dentures as well as in the gums.
Bad breath from food
Some of our favorite foods are among the triggers of temporary bad breath. Garlic and onions will come to mind first.
In addition, there are numerous other foods that you would do best to avoid, at least before certain situations like a job interview. :) Kebab or tuna pizza are a good example.
Foods that cause odor include wild garlic, leeks, cheese, milk and dairy products. You should note that the bad breath can then remain for several days.
Foul breath due to stomach problems
Especially if the bad breath smells sour, it could come from deeper regions. It indicates various forms of gastrointestinal problems.
It is both possible that leftover food is stuck in the esophagus or upper digestive tract. In addition, heartburn and stomach ulcers can also cause bad breath.
Nose and throat for bad breath
Rare causes are bacterial infections in the nose and throat. If a dentist cannot find a reason for bad breath, the next step is to see an ENT specialist.
This can make a smear test. Other diseases such as tumors can also cause unpleasant odors.
So easy you can make your own mouthwash
What promotes bad breath
There are some things that promote bad breath. As you can imagine, everything that causes bad breath should be avoided, of course.
Some food
Since certain foods cause temporary bad breath in the first place, they should be avoided in case of doubt or at least used in moderation.
Certain foods also settle particularly well in interdental spaces and are sometimes difficult to remove.
Too little salivation
The flow of saliva ensures a healthy oral flora. Bacterial deposits and thus excessive conversion of food residues into odorous decomposition products cannot be properly eliminated if there is too little saliva.
Breathing through the mouth, snoring, and certain medications can cause or increase dry mouth.
Lack of oral hygiene
An important factor for bad breath is hygiene. Those who do not brush their teeth or do so only very irregularly, really challenge bad breath.
For whom this does not help, can rely on more advanced hygiene products.
Tip: Professional teeth cleaning
Even if you use toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, etc., you should have your teeth cleaned by a professional at least once a year. Your dentist removes stubborn stains, cleans the interdental spaces and removes tartar. In addition, he can go with you on a search for traces of bad breath.
With a dental cleaning you can prevent tooth decay and gum problems, and also tooth discoloration that is really stubborn. However, you have to bear the costs yourself. A dental cleaning costs between 80 and 150 euros, depending on the dentist and location.
Unless you have supplemental dental insurance. With the Gothaer supplementary dental insurance 100% of the prophylaxis measures are covered. In addition, 150 euros per year for professional dental cleaning. So the insurance pays for itself from the 1st year.
If you want to have permanently beautiful teeth, then you should think about it. You can find yourself on the Gothaer website about supplementary dental insurance. All the information is presented here in a very thorough and easy-to-understand manner.
How to tell if you have bad breath
Before we clarify the question: What to do about bad breath we must first clarify whether you really suffer from it.
For most people, it is too uncomfortable to ask friends or acquaintances if they can detect bad breath. There are simple ways you can test yourself.
Very often we do not even realize that we have bad breath. But with a little self-test, you will soon know for sure.
You have to pull a tooth? It's really that bad!
Saliva test against bad breath
For the saliva test, you simply spit into a clean cup that has been intensively rinsed with warm water but without detergent.
After you have closed it with a lid for about five minutes, open it again and smell it. If you are lucky, it smells neutral :)
Air bag test for bad breath
If you have an odorless plastic bag at home, you can also use it for a test.
To do this, simply breathe out into the bag and then smell how the air smells inside. Make sure that there are no ambient odors that could falsify the result.
Wrist test for bad breath
We women know this test from perfume.
Here, however, you do not spray the fragrant scent on your wrist, but lick it with your tongue. After about 30 seconds you smell this place.
What to do about bad breath?
But now to the most important question: What to do about bad breath? After all, we want to get rid of bad breath as soon as possible.
Since there are various causes of bad breath, there are also various ways to combat it.
On the one hand with foods that freshen breath and on the other hand with good oral hygiene.
So you finally get white teeth!
Food against bad breath
Just as there are foods that cause bad breath, there are those that have a positive effect on bad odors or prevent them.
Black tea relieves bad breath
Black tea is a good bacteria fighter thanks to the polyphenols it contains. Usual amounts inhibit the production of sulfurous substances, which are responsible for the odors.
This makes it a good alternative to coffee and effectively helps against bad breath. Because coffee can also cause pretty bad breath. This does not happen with black tea.
Baking soda against bad breath
It may sound a little strange to you, but Baking powder* When used correctly, it is effective against certain forms of bad breath.
It not only balances the pH value, but also removes highly bacterial coatings on the tongue.
This makes it a good alternative for people who find a tongue scraper uncomfortable. For it to work well, simply dissolve half a teaspoon twice a day of Baking powder* in a glass of water and rinse your mouth with it.
Already you have a very simple homemade mouthwash.
White yogurt against bad breath
The lactic acid bacteria in white, unsweetened yogurt can not only hold back putrefactive bacteria in milk.
The same result can be achieved in the mouth. With sweetened yogurt, however, the sugar would make up for the positive effect.
So it's better to use plain natural yogurt. This also saves calories and is also very healthy for the stomach.
Herbs and spices neutralize odor in the mouth
Herbs are a really great home remedy for bad breath. They are natural and also taste really delicious.
Parsley, chamomile, cloves, mint and fennel seeds neutralize breath. Just chew a few pieces of them right after eating or when you notice that your breath is bad.
An apple as a bad breath killer
A fresh apple has two effects on the mouth. Bacteria do not like the natural acidity at all. In addition, the pleasant apple scent covers the bad breath, at least temporarily.
Since the apple is very firm to the bite, you also scrape plaque from your teeth. And you'll also get plenty of vitamins. By the way: Apples are one of Foods that stimulate the metabolism.
Hot lemon against bad breath bacteria
Lemons have an even more sour taste. Although the pure fruit works best. However, many people find this too acidic. Bacterial growth can be contained just as well with a hot lemon.
The right drink helps twice
Water is particularly recommended to prevent or eliminate bad breath. This removes nasty sulfur compounds from the mouth. Other beverages, especially heavily sweetened ones, on the other hand, can promote caries and tooth decay and thus cause bad breath.
Drinking a lot also boosts saliva production. And that in turn leaves little room for bacteria.
Olive oil neutralizes breath
The oil binds foul-smelling substances in the mouth. The ingredients also inhibit the growth of bacteria. For the best effect and fast good-smelling breath you need to rinse your mouth with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil for 20 minutes.
Move the oil back and forth with your tongue and cheeks and pull it through the interdental spaces. Then rinse your mouth with warm water and brush your teeth.
Good oral hygiene against bad breath
The simplest method against odor-causing bacteria is the deprivation of the breeding ground. This means that, above all, all food residues must be consistently removed.
Brushing teeth against bad breath
It will not surprise you that brushing your teeth is the basis of good oral hygiene. Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, is obligatory. It is better to brush three times a day. Each brushing should last at least four minutes. It is ideal to use plenty of toothpaste and an electric toothbrush.
Prevent bad breath with dental floss
Proper oral hygiene also includes the use of dental floss. You may find it uncomfortable at first, but it's the only way to effectively remove food debris that you can't reach with a toothbrush.
This also protects the gums. An interdental brush, which is called an interdental brush, is particularly suitable for molars.
Remove bacterial coating from the tongue
A coating can form on the tongue, which is a true paradise for bacteria. So what can be done about bad breath? Remove the coating with an appropriate tongue scraper, which is available in pharmacies, drugstores and online. The back third of the tongue should be left out, as it is too sensitive.
Rinses against bad breath
Maybe it's already part of your morning routine. Rinsing the mouth with special agents has various positive effects. Among other things, it can reduce the corresponding bacteria.
While remedies from the supermarket or drugstore are mostly suitable for long-term use, you should only use remedies from the pharmacy for longer periods in consultation with the pharmacist or a doctor.
Reduce plaque with special chewing gums
Chewing gums do not replace oral hygiene, but they can complement it well. However, they must not contain any sugar. Xylitol* or xylitol as the active ingredient has a saliva-stimulating effect, removes food residues in the spaces between the teeth and soft components of dental plaque.
The dentist against bad breath
About one third of plaque cannot be removed by the hygiene possible at home. Only a dentist can help here. The dentist seals and polishes the teeth, which not only looks more appealing, but also partially prevents bad breath.
Our conclusion
What to do against bad breath? Proper oral hygiene is the first step against bad breath. However, this does not help from time to time. If you continue to suffer from bad breath, these tips can help you deal with the problem. Avoiding certain foods is sometimes not a bad idea. Or you can consciously work against bad breath with other foods.
The last step leads to the doctor. He can get to the bottom of the causes of bad breath professionally. Since there are various possibilities here, depending on the cause you could help the dentist, ENT specialist or internist, you may have to prove a long breath. But after that your breath will be good again!
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