Considering the devotion most Millennials have to an effective skincare routine, maintaining a healthy diet, and hiking all around the world - I was surprised to hear that many of my friends still didn’t practice proper oral hygiene. Not only does it lead to tooth decay, but it also causes chronic halitosis or bad breath.

But the good news is that bad breath is easy to treat. 

In a large number of cases, bad breath originates from the tongue and gums. The decay of food particles or wastes from bacteria and poor oral hygiene becomes a deadly combination. These factors lead to the production of a sulfur compound that causes an unpleasant odor.

Here is everything you should know about bad breath. 

Causes

There are three common causes of bad breath.

Diet

Low-carbohydrate and high-protein diet often cause bad breath. Moreover, if you indulge in too many sweets, garlic, onions, alcoholic, and caffeinated beverages, you are at a higher risk of chronic bad breath. Tobacco users are also likely to develop a bad mouth odor.

Oral Issues

Roughly 80% of the causes of bad breath relate to oral health issues from bacteria. All such problems include cavities, gum disease, cracked fillings, and dentures. If you don't brush and floss regularly, bacteria build up in your mouth and cause a bad breath.

Medical Conditions

Some medical conditions, such as cancer, lung disease, tonsil infections, kidney disease, and blood disorders, cause bad breath. Another common medical cause of bad breath is diabetes because it fluctuates our body's blood sugar levels. Other reasons can be acid reflux, Asthma, postnasal drip, or a sinus infection. 

How to Treat Bad Breath at Home

The first step is to assess your basic oral care routine. Since most cases of halitosis start inside the mouth, our first step should be to brush twice a day. Here are a few other valuable home-remedies to treat bad breath.

Scrape your Tongue

Probably one of the best and most useful tips to prevent halitosis is using a tongue scraper for eliminating the odor-causing bacteria on the tongue. The coating that usually forms on our tongue can quickly become a host for foul bacteria.

A good quality tongue scraper does a great job of removing food debris, bacteria, and dead cells that brushing alone fails to eliminate.

Chew Sugar-free Gum

In some cases, a dry mouth or food particles can trigger bad breath. Stimulating saliva production can freshen up breath and wash away bacteria. One of the best ways to produce more saliva is to chew sugar-free gum, which will remove away the bacteria leading to bad breath.

Hydration

Drinking a sufficient amount of water can help you keep mouth odor under control. That’s because water washes away bacteria and food particles that lead to bad breath. Make sure you consume at least six to eight glasses of water every day. Moreover, if bad breath is a result of weight loss, drinking water dilutes the chemicals that lead to mouth odor. 

Eat Probiotic Foods

Probiotics restrict the growth of pathogenic bacteria and promote good bacteria for treating numerous conditions such as bad breath. Eating probiotics helps you replace the odor-causing oral bacteria with other harmless ones.

Chew on Mint Leaves or Parsley

Since parsley contains chlorophyll, which has antibacterial properties, it serves as a potential deodorizer. If you are traveling and you don’t have your toothbrush on you, chewing some parsley leaves is a great idea to freshen your breath. In addition to that, mint scrapes odor-causing bacteria off your teeth because mint leaves also contain chlorophyll. 

My Final Thoughts

Your bad breath can be a result of a chronic issue such as an illness or tooth decay. However, it can also be due to a buildup of bacteria on your tongue. Make sure you practice good oral hygiene by scraping your tongue daily, brushing your teeth, visiting your dentist regularly, and trying out our home remedies to prevent and treat bad breath.