Have you ever worried about having bad breath? It’s not a good feeling to have. But don’t worry, halitosis is more common than you think. Approximately 1 in 4 adults experience it, and not only in the mornings; some suffer from chronic halitosis. That means that they still have bad breath even after they brush in the morning.

Where does the odor come from?
Bacteria is the culprit! There are tiny microbes that live in your mouth and they love to feed on food particles and dead cells. When doing so, these microbes leave sulfur compounds behind and that is what causes the unpleasant odor. It’s not really something you want to think about, but in order to prevent it, it helps to know.

How to check if you have bad breath at home?
You could ask a trusted friend or family member. But talk about an embarrassing conversation, right? If you don’t want to ask someone to stick their nose in your mouth, there are a few other tricks you can try to find out for yourself.

The oldest trick in the book: hover your hand over your mouth and exhale. Quickly smell the lingering odor in your hand and you be the judge of how it smells. You can also smell your floss after its use.

How to Prevent Bad Breath
Of course, our number one tip is to brush twice a day and floss at least once a day. Make sure to keep your tongue clean as well. You can do this by using a tongue scraper or if you don’t have one, use a toothbrush.

Contrary to popular belief, mouthwash will only mask bad breath short-term; it actually makes halitosis worse in the long run. Why? Most over-the-counter mouthwashes contain alcohol. When used, the alcohol will dry out your mouth tissue, causing less saliva production, in turn making your halitosis worse.

Even when following proper dental hygiene habits, you may still experience bad breath and it may be because of your diet. Here are some foods to stay away from and others that actually help to prevent halitosis from occurring.

The Bad

• Garlic
• Onion
• Coffee
• Alcohol

The Good

• Sugarless Gum
• Yogurt
• Water
• Herbs and Spices (including parsley, cloves, anise, and fennel seeds)

If none of our tips seem to work, despite your best efforts, schedule an appointment. Don’t hesitate to ask your dentist at The Dental Care Center. We will find the root cause of your halitosis and we can prescribe medication if needed.