Keep It Fresh! The Best Toothpaste For Bad Breath

We all know that smoking is a bad habit that can give you yellow teeth. It can also add damaging bacteria to your mouth through the tar and nicotine.

If you’re really struggling to quit, try swapping to an e-cigarette - you’ll still get the nicotine fix without all the other nasty stuff.

Aim to brush teeth at least twice a day. If you’re really struggling to control things, I’d suggest brushing after each time you eat. It might sound excessive, but this will help prevent any build-up of leftover food and bacteria, both of which cause bad breath.

Floss or use a mouthwash every day (or after each meal, if you can) to lessen the likelihood of bacteria build-up.

Yep, really. The tongue harvests a high amount of bacteria and is often skipped in our dental hygiene routines. We focus so mouth on flossing and swilling and whitening that we forget about our tongue!

Many toothbrushes come with a textured surface on the back to clean and scrape the tongue. You can buy tongue cleaners on their own, too – great if you’re experiencing bad breath.

Having a dry mouth is uncomfortable but can also lead to bad breath, as we know now. If your salivary glands aren’t working properly, they can’t break down food and bacteria in your mouth.

This leads to bad breath, as well as unhealthy teeth and gums. Drink plenty of water, or combine fresh mint leaves with hot water if you fancy a change. Fresh breath and hydration!

Halitosis is usually the result of lifestyle choices. Unhealthy diets, smoking and excessive alcohol and caffeine consumption can all lead to bad breath.

The foods you eat can make a massive difference to your oral hygiene. Spicy food, garlic, onion and caffeine can all lead to bad breath.

Sticky food is, unsurprisingly, more likely to get stuck between your teeth. The longer leftover food has contact with your teeth, the more impact if will have on your breath.

Sugary and acidic foods are damaging to tooth enamel anyway, so it’s best to steer clear of them for a number of reasons.

On that note, think about lowering your alcohol intake. Alcohol dries the mouth out, which leads to bad breath. If you fancy a few drinks, do your best to stay hydrated – the hangover the next day will be much easier to handle, too!

Stop smoking, or at least swap to an e-cigarette. The water vapor is much less damaging than all the tar found in regular cigarettes.

Regular visits to your orthodontist can make a huge difference to the condition of your teeth, and breath. This lets you know if the smell is due to lifestyle choices or if you have an oral health issue.

Either way, you’ll be able to stop bad habits early on, as well as forming new habits as your teeth change. Don’t feel embarrassed about booking regular appointments with your orthodontist – it’s what they’re there for!

While this is a great short-term option to help freshen breath, it can actually be useful in the long run, too. Chewing gum increases the production of saliva in our mouths.

This helps to keep our teeth and gums clean and free of food and bacteria build ups. Make sure it sugar-free, of course – there’s no point having fresh breath if your teeth are full of cavities.