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How to Get Rid of Bad Breath

November 21st, 2009 by admin
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1. What is the cause of bad breath?

There are two types of bad breath; transient bad breath and chronic bad breath (or chronic halitosis). As the names imply, transient bad breath is a temporary, self-correcting condition while chronic bad breath indicates a more severe imbalance in the body. Medical science hasn't yet tracked down every single cause of bad breath so you may have to do a little self-troubleshooting.

Transient bad breath

Onions and garlicTransient bad breath is usually very temporary and lasts only as long as it's causative factor. Some of the most common causes of transient bad breath are:

  • Recently eaten foods such as: onions, garlic, dairy products, alcohol and high-sugar foods. A mouth coated in sugar is a welcome environment for breath-corrupting bacteria.
  • Poor oral hygiene. Bacterias that cause bad breath are often present in the mouth, but a lack of proper cleaning can allow their numbers to increase to smellable proportions.
  • Bodily imbalances caused by dehydration, stress, smoking, certain drugs and poor nutrition.
  • A state of Ketosis often results in bad breath when one eats more protein than the body can process.

Chronic bad breath

chronic bad breathChronic bad breath is most often caused by bacteria or gum disease. There are some clinics that can perform specialized testing to determine which strain of bacteria is causing the bad breath and then prescribe a personalized treatment. Chronic halitosis can also be caused by certain drugs and medical conditions. If you have a case of bad breath that just won't quit, have a dental exam as well as a physical.

2. Bad breath remedies

If you can identify the source, do something about it.

Correctable causes of bad breath:

  • Dehydration. If you're urine is dark, you're dehydrated.
  • Diet. Try temporarily avoiding onions, garlic, dairy products, alcohol, and acidic beverages like coffee and OJ to attempt to lessen the stink.
  • Hygiene. Are you brushing at least once a day? Are you being thorough? Add mouthwash and begin brushing your tongue when you brush your teeth and see if that helps. Brush after every meal if you must.
  • Dieting. On a diet? Take a break for one or two days and see if the breath-stench ceases.
  • Prescription medication. I don't recommend not taking your med's, but maybe talk to your doctor or search the web for the name of your medicine and the phrase "Bad breath" in quotes to see if there is a commonly known link.
  • Poor nutrition. What is your ratio of protein to carbohydrate to fat? How many refined carbohydrates (sugars and flours) have you been eating lately? Keep carbs around 50% and don't let either fat or protein dominate the other 50%.

Home remedies for bad breath:

  • brushing the teethHydrogen peroxide rinse - diluted to a 1.5% solution (with water) and gargled but not swallowed.
  • Chewing fresh parsley. Buy it at your supermarket or grow it yourself.
  • Drink unsweetened green tea.
  • Brush your teeth or use some mouthwash.
  • Use a tongue brush or scraper. Don't have one? A small spoon can be substituted.
  • Bad breath products (mouthwashes, sprays, gums, mints and pills).
  • Mouth rinses containing chlorhexidine, zinc gluconate, and chlorine dioxide.
  • Increasing saliva by chewing something without sugar or gently pressing on your tongue with your teeth to mimic the action of chewing.

3. Pets with bad breath

Animals tend to get bad breath for many of the same reasons people do. The most common cause is tooth and gum problems. If your animal develops a fierce case of halitosis, take a trip to the vet. Failing that, dog bad breath treatments as well as cat bad breath treatments are available in the following forms:

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    1. laurennn Says:

      i havee really bad breath all the time
      i brush my teeth everyday but nothing seems to work , i cant even bare going to school because i know people can smelland it stops me going out with friends and stuff , i really cant bare this anymore its getting to the point where life is just unbareable pleaseee someone help mee :(

    2. Sue Says:

      Get to the dentist and have an honest talk. I had chronic halitosis for years and no one told me. Finally someone did and I freaked out. I tried everything - aggressive brushing - flossing - various expensive mouthwashes and solutions advertised on the internet “guaranteed to work” (they didn’t).
      I finally found the problem - a tooth. Years before I had had a root canal done, then replaced with a post and crown and though I didn’t have any actual pain, it just felt odd. I went to the dentist (previous visits and x-rays did not reveal anything unusual) and asked about this. My dentist agreed something was going on there and referred me to a specialist - an oral surgeon. He removed the tooth and apparently the roots of the tooth had rotted and were no longer bone - just black gunk (ugh!) This infection was what was causing my bad breath - and when he removed the tooth, and all the infected bone around it (no it wasn’t painful!) he found it went right up into my sinus cavity - which I guess is how a lot of the odor was released. After removal of the tooth, I wasn’t “airtight” for a short while, but it healed well and guess what? NO MORE HALITOSIS!! (unless I’m eating onions, of course) :-) If you have serious, chronic halitosis, consider your dental history and if you have had a root canal or have a post and crown, have your dentist carefully examine your x-rays of this tooth - it could be the “root” of your problem!

    3. alex lederer Says:

      i have really bad breath and girls hate me please help

    4. Jenny Says:

      Suck on a lemon!

    5. Lindy Says:

      FLOSS!!! It REMOVES the bacteria that makes your breath smell. Mouthwash will only mask the odor for a while. If you aren’t a flosser, your gums may bleed for a couple of weeks and it may hurt a little, if this happens, you have gingivits (which is the first stage of periodontal disease). Healthy tissue doesn’t bleed. When flossing, make sure you are getting the floss between your tooth & your gum, thats where the bacteria is (in your gums, not just between your teeth). If your gums are still bleeding after 2 weeks then make an appointment for a dental cleaning. Cavities can cause bad breath too. If you don’t like flossing, try the floss picks on the market.

    6. Mauline Says:

      I usually keep a tube of toothpaste in my pocket mixed with a bit of pickle juice, I suck on it every five minutes or so through out the day, it works great, it is a little embarrasing when you get caught doing it though…

    7. jennifer Says:

      I can’t chew gum all the time to fix this problem! what can i do?!?! it’s soo embarassing!

    8. Steve Says:

      Gargle some Hydrogen Peroxide - I gargle with it after lunch since I don’t bring a toothbrush to work.

      Brush after eating if you can.

      Floss.

      Watch what you eat, but don’t give up eating garlic or onions completely since they provide nutrients that benefit our bodies. brush after those meals tho.

      Chewing Mint leaf is something I haven’t done, but is an old style way of handling bad breath. also drinkin mint tea.

    9. booooo Says:

      choe on white paper twice a day,
      pretty simple yall can do it =D

    10. [...] explains how to get rid of bad breath in greater detail at HowToGetRidOfStuff.com; the place to go when you need to get rid of [...]

    11. anthony Says:

      i have really bad breath everyday no motter how much i brush i dont know what to do can you help me? thank you

    12. anna Says:

      im really confused to get rid of the bad breath cause theres so much tips but i really want to no the one that works the most ????????? please im desperet

    13. graham Says:

      the only 2 ways to get rid of bad breath is to brush ur teeeh,the best one is to get a quater of a mug of saqlt,with have carrot mush it up,then after that you fil the rest up the mug with listerene.stiree..gurgle it there you go.one a day for a week then your good to go after that,just brush ur eeh every morning that it good luck!

    14. Gabi Says:

      Is using soap really better than using toothpaste??

    15. jena Says:

      ughhh i hate this! having bad breath sucks what can really help me out im clueless i cant even socialize during school with the teachers and friends because of it i always brush my teeth and brush my tongue

    16. lasha Says:

      i started using mouthwash and every day my breath dont stink nore more

    17. jeff Says:

      i have very bad breath and slimy tounge and spit please help me

    18. georgia Says:

      i started using therabreath toothpaste and therabreath mouthwash (Longs drugstore)and scraping my tongue, my husband said my breath is good now and it used to be awful. definitely make sure your mouthwash is alcohol free, it’s drying and can make the problem worse. also floss often.

    19. Cheldon Says:

      *Mouthwash
      *Chew on mint leaves
      *Listerine pocket mist
      *FLOSS

      hydrogen peroxide is also a very inexpensive solution, about .99 cents for a medium to large bottle.

    20. Beckie Says:

      You can buy peroxide at any drugstore remember not to swallow it can be very harmful if you do!

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