Since we’ve made mask-wearing a bigger part of our everyday lives, some of us are noticing that maybe our breath doesn’t smell as nice as we thought. While the battle against bad breath isn’t anything new, I’m here to offer some tips to try if you find yourself covering your mouth.
Floss Regularly
This is where I tell people to start. The most common cause of bad breath is bad bacteria eating away at the garbage sitting in your mouth. These old bits of food and the baddies that feast on them sit in the space between your teeth and your gums, so when your flossing really get down under those gums to clean them out. You cannot floss too far down, nature will stop you.
When you first start flossing, your gums will be sore – but by a week and a half to two weeks that flossing is going to feel soooooo good and the people around you will be very appreciative.
Don’t Forget to Clean Your Tongue
An oft-neglected bastion of bad bacteria can also be found sitting right on top of your tongue. To clean your tongue, either use your toothbrush and brush the top of your tongue, or use an actual tongue cleaner.
Swap Out Your Mints and/or Gum
Did you know that mints containing sugar will actually make your breath WORSE? It’s true! The sugar in mints act as food for the bacteria that are causing the stink in the first place.
Mints and gum containing xylitol instead of regular sugar actually combats the bacteria that cause bad breath. When the bacteria try to eat the xylitol, their enzymes can’t process the slight difference in the molecule and it gums up the entire operation, killing the bacteria.
Mints and gum containing xylitol when used at least 5 times per day has been shown to reduce your risk for developing tooth decay as well.
Stay on Schedule
Sometimes bad breath can be a sign of something more. Sometimes colonies of bacteria can build up and harden into a chalky substance called calculus that sticks to your teeth like barnacles on the bottom of a boat. This can be a significant source of bad breath and can only be cleaned off by having your teeth cleaned by a dental professional. In addition, some bad dental infections can cause an odor as well if the infection is able to drain into the mouth.
To make sure you stay in good health and keep good smelling breath, it’s important to stay regular with your dental cleanings. Problems that are caught early on at regular visits are easier and less expensive to treat than waiting until something hurts.
If you’re looking for a new dentist, I’d love to meet you. You can schedule an appointment by calling 513-241-1477 or schedule online by following this link.
