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Bad Breath is also known as Halitosis, is an embarrassing problem and in some cases causes anxiety. Some suffer from bad breath chronically and it can devastate one’s self-worth. The person suffering from bad breath has a feeling of humiliation, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, poor self-image and sometimes he has suicidal thoughts. So the question arises, what causes bad breath and how to get rid of it?. Always remember that it not a shortcoming but it is just a condition that requires your attention and it can be cured. The other thing is that you should always remember that you are not alone, there are others who are suffering from this condition. The following are certain proven ways to get rid of bad breath.
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Maintaining good oral hygiene
Remember to brush twice a day once in the morning and once at bedtime. Bedtime brushing is very important. Along with brushing you should floss your teeth to remove the lodged food particles. These food particles if not removed ferment and causebad breath.
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Clean your tongue regularly
Along with brushing flossing always keep the tongue clean. For this, you can use the tongue cleaner. The bacteria, their by-product & the food particles which remain stuck to your tongue can be the cause of the bad breath.
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Rinse with Alcohol-free mouthwash
If you have dry mouth or Saliva is less, it can cause the bad breath. If you use the mouthwash it will keep your mouth moistened and will keep your mouth free from bacteria and the food particles. You can make mouthwash at home by adding a tablespoon baking powder in one cup of warm water with few drops of peppermint oil, as the baking powder is antibacterial.
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Drink lot of water
You should drink a lot of water to keep your body hydrated. Water lubricates the mouth and acts as cleanser also. Try to avoid soda drinks as they have citric acid in it. It wears off your enamel and at the same time cause bad breath.
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Quit Smoking
If you have bad breath and you are a smoker then quit smoking. Smoking causes the dry mouth and because of nicotine, your salivary flow becomes unhealthy so to avoid bad breath stop smoking.
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Regular dental visit
Regular dental visit and professional cleaning are very important. The most common cause of bad breath is deposition of plaque. So go for dental cleaning to prevent and treat the bad breath.
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Chewing sugarless gum containing xylitol
If you have bad breath and at the same time you feel dry mouth then chew the sugarless gum containing xylitol. Chewing gum increase the salivary flow which acts as the natural cleanser and the xylitol which is antibacterial helps in keeping the teeth healthy. It prevents teeth from decay. So to prevent and treat the bad breath you can chew sugar-free gum containing xylitol.
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Eat more fibrous crunchy healthy food
Taking crunchy healthy food like apples, carrots, celery etc can remove the lodged food between the teeth and take care of the bacteria that thrive on the sticky food. Hard, Crunchy healthy food acts like a natural toothbrush. It is a natural Bad breath remedy.
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Related:
If after maintaining good oral hygiene and visiting your dentist regularly you still have bad breath, then you can visit your physician as sometimes the bad breath is because of some systemic problem. In 10 to 20% cases it can be because of gastrointestinal infection, respiratory tract infection, chronic sinusitis or tonsillitis or because of some problem in kidney or liver.
Bad breath is easily treatable if you maintain good oral hygiene. Consult your dentist. He will help you in getting rid of this problem.