The mouth is one of the essential parts of the body. Not only does it provide sustenance by grinding down food, but it’s also used to communicate and socialize with others. However, it is also one of the prime places where microbes can thrive. This isn’t a surprise when it is moist and sufficiently warm. Occasionally, it also has left-over food particles where these microbes can feed on.
Although many microbes are relatively harmless and can help with the body’s function, some microbes can cause health complications if the conditions in our mouth are just right for their proliferation. This is where halitosis happens. For many individuals, having bad breath, especially early in the morning, might seem like a trivial matter at first glance, but this can be a telltale sign of bad oral hygiene.
Although having bad breath might seem easy to remedy, some instances where bad breath won’t just go away. The last thing that professionals and workers want when they are interacting with customers has bad breath. Not only can this lower your self-esteem, but this can also have a significant impact on how others see you.
So what are some excellent ways of keeping your breath fresh? What are some good practices that can help with oral-related health complications? Here’s what you need to consider.
What Usually Causes Bad Breath?
But before getting into how we can address bad breath, let’s first understand what usually causes bad breath in the first place. It’s crucial to keep in mind that bad breath isn’t just caused by poor oral hygiene. Contrary to what most people believe in, bad breath is usually caused by a myriad of factors. Many of these factors include the following:
- Medical infections cause by surgery close to the mouth
- Kidneys are not functioning correctly. In certain situations, kidney failure is another cause.
- Diabetes
- Health complications related to your gastrointestinal system
- The liver fails to metabolize certain chemicals
- Difficulties with your respiratory system
As you can see, many factors and causes can lead to bad breath. This makes it paramount that you see professional help if you’re not quite sure about your condition.
Keeping Your Retainers Maintained
Firstly, let’s address an essential part of halitosis management. If you’re wearing dental retainers, ensure that they are free from debris and food material by cleaning them every day. Before ending your day, check if there’s no buildup of bacterias in the gaps of your retainers.
If you’re still planning on getting retainers, you might want to consider getting ones that are easy to clean and handle. Fortunately, you won’t have to look far since quality bonded retainers are a great way of keeping your teeth in good condition while also staving off bad breath.
Keeping Yourself Hydrated
Probably one of the most crucial ways of addressing lousy breath is by ensuring that your mouth isn’t dry. Saliva plays an integral role in keeping the mouth in good condition. But when your mouth is dry, this can cause even more bacteria to proliferate. This is one of the reasons most people wake up with bad breath early in the morning.
Keeping yourself hydrated by drinking water every hour of the day is one of the best ways of staving off bad breath. Still, you must stop drinking beverages that can inadvertently lead to halitosis. This is especially true when it comes to coffee and sodas.
Watching What You Eat
Last but not least, one of the best ways of remedying bad breath is by regulating what you’re eating. There’s bound to be plenty of food that has a pungent smell, which can have a significant impact on your bad breath.
You should avoid eating garlic and onions since they produce chemicals that can cause a foul-smelling odor. Certain types of seafood also decompose faster than other food matter, which can cause bad breath. Remember: prevention is better than having to buy products to address your halitosis.
Although it might seem trivial at first glance, you need to address your bad breath. This is a significant part of keeping yourself well-groomed and prepared for your work or when you’re meeting with someone. Halitosis won’t only affect how others see you, but this can be a cause for concern since this is a symptom of underlying health issues. Fortunately, there are many ways of addressing bad breath.
Still, it’s crucial to keep in mind that even though many of these tips are a great way of addressing bad breath, this shouldn’t be an alternative to getting professional help. After following these tips, if your bad breath persists, consider getting checked by a dentist or physician for any underlying health conditions.