Are You Smiling About Your Fresh Breath?

Knowing your breath is fresh is a terrific confidence booster, and it is easy to get and maintain sweet-smelling breath. Follow these easy steps to ensure you can smile about your fresh, clean mouth.

  • Brush and Floss More Frequently

Sticky dental plaque soon builds up over tooth surfaces and contains bacteria that cause bad breath. Food trapped between teeth soon starts to rot, worsening bad breath. Ensure you brush your teeth at least twice daily to remove plaque and don’t forget to floss once-a-day.

  • Use Mouthwash

Mouthwash can freshen breath but choose a brand that helps your oral health too. Otherwise, the effect is merely cosmetic.  Look for a mouthwash with antimicrobial properties and which preferably contains fluoride.

  • Clean Your Tongue

Have you ever noticed your tongue has a white coating? This can contain smelly bacteria, so gently brushing your tongue will help to freshen your breath. Use your toothbrush, or ideally buy a special tongue scraper as they only cost a few dollars. A tongue scraper applies pressure evenly across your tongue, removing bacteria, dead skin cells and food debris.

Some foods, most notably onions and garlic will give you smelly breath but brushing afterwards will only temporarily freshen your breath. You will not eliminate the smell until these foods have been digested, have entered your bloodstream and are breathed out through the lungs.