5 Ways to Keep Your Breath Fresh for Longer

An unfortunate side effect of having to spend a lot of time out of your day away from home is not being able to brush your teeth when your breath starts to smell. There are a few ways to prevent bad breath before it becomes an issue, though. Keeping your breath fresh throughout the day can be as simple as changing cleaning habits and being more mindful of the foods you ingest.

1. Use a Tongue Scraper

Once you start using a tongue scraper, you'll wonder how you ever lived without one. Tongue scrapers clean plaque and food remnants off of your tongue, and generally function much better than a toothbrush for this purpose. Not only will it make your breath smell better by removing the foul-smelling gunk, it can also change your overall mouth taste and help you taste foods better.

2. Switch to Alcohol-Free Mouthwash

A common misconception is that mouthwashes with alcohol are better at cleaning the mouth. While alcohol is effective for killing bacteria on its own, it also dries out the mouth. Dry mouth actually encourages bad breath since it interrupts the natural process of saliva cleaning the mouth, creating more of a bacteria problem than before using mouthwash. An alcohol-free mouthwash, however, does not have this drying effect and assists in producing more saliva, accelerating the natural cleaning process in the mouth.

3. Drink Water Consistently Throughout the Day

Dry mouth is a very common cause of bad breath. You know how much water you should drink in a day to stay feeling hydrated, but drinking it all in short bursts throughout your day does not help your breath. Try slowing down and sipping your water constantly throughout the day. This will prevent dry mouth and also wash away food particles before they have a chance to settle on the teeth and tongue.

4. Avoid Some Foods

Some foods cause bad breath due to either encouraging bacteria growth or containing naturally foul-smelling ingredients. The most common foul-smelling foods are onions, garlic, and dairy products. These stick to the tongue and teeth and smell sour, causing breath to smell stronger and smell worse as it combines with the smell of plaque. Very sugary foods also cause bad breath due to the sugar's interaction with bacteria in the mouth.

5. Snack on Specific Foods

There are also foods that help with breath management. Crisp fruits and vegetables such as apples and celery encourage salivation and help accelerate the natural cleaning processes in the mouth. These also provide hydration which helps protect against dry mouth. Another alternative is sugar-free gum. Chewing gum also encourages salivation, and chewing sugar-free ensures you're not nourishing the bacteria in your mouth.

Bad breath is not only embarrassing, but having a dirty mouth can lead to other dental issues. If you keep experiencing issues with bad breath after experimenting with solutions, you might want to consult your dentist as it might be a chronic disease known as halitosis. For most, however, using these few tips will ensure you feel like you have a clean, fresh-smelling mouth all day.