So
Its your boy drew here and what I have to talk about today is a big
issue bad breath! Its sooooo messed up when you in a packed bus and
someone comes and talks to you and they breath stank and you can't
move.And for the ladies when a fella comes up tp approach you and they
be breathing fire in your face....don't you just wanna run for your
life.... So I got FIVE tips here to avoid bad breath.
- Clean your mouth thoroughly and regularly. Two
major sources of mouth odor are bacteria and decaying food particles.
There are hundreds of nooks and crannies in the landscape of your mouth
where these offenders can get lodged. Brushing is not enough.
Clean your tongue. Your tongue, unfortunately, is like a shaggy carpet where all kinds of smelly stuff can hide.[1]
When you brush your teeth (which should be at least twice a day) use
your toothbrush, the edge of a spoon, or a tongue cleaner to "scrape"
your tongue. If you have a sensitive gag reflex, you might not like this task. You need to clean your entire tongue, including the part close to your tonsils.
- Floss.
Make it as much of a mindless habit as brushing your teeth. At first,
your gums might bleed as you dislodge chunks of food that have "stuck"
to your teeth and gum for who knows how long. But take a second to
smell the floss after you pass it through your teeth, if you dare.
You'll see (or smell) where the bad breath is coming from
Keep your mouth moisturized.
A dry mouth is a stinky mouth. That's why your breath is worse in the
morning; your mouth produces less saliva as you sleep. Saliva is the
enemy of bad breath because not only does it physically wash bacteria
and food particles away, but it also has antiseptic and enzymes that
kill bacteria.[1]
Chewing gum stimulates saliva production (in addition to covering
up the odor with some kind of scent). Mints do not encourage saliva
production.
[1] .Drink water. It won't necessarily increase saliva production, but it'll wash out your mouth and it's good for you. See
How to Drink More Water Every Day.
Dry mouth can be caused by certain medications and medical
conditions. Ask your doctor about switching medications, or addressing
the underlying condition.
- Choose your gum carefully.
As mentioned in the previous step, any gum will help with bad breath
because the chewing action results in more saliva being produced. Some
gums, however, have better bad-breath-fighting abilities than others:
Cinnamon flavoring seems to be especially effective in reducing bacteria counts in your mouth.
[1]Look for gum sweetened with xylitol. For one thing, sugar's not
good for your mouth. Xylitol is a sugar substitute that actually works
to prevent bacteria from replicating in the mouth.
[1]
- Eat a banana. You
probably already know to avoid notorious stink foods like onions,
garlic, cheese, and coffee (or at least brush vigorously after eating
them). But did you know that if you're on a low-carb diet, you might have "ketone breath"?[1]
Basically, as your body breaks down fats instead of carbs for energy,
it creates ketones, some of which are released in your mouth.
Unfortunately, ketones smell bad, and so will your breath. If you're on
a strict carb-restricting diet, or any diet that forces you to burn fat
instead of carbs, consider throwing healthy carb-rich snacks into the
mix, like apples or bananas.
This will also happen to anyone who
fasts,
whether for religious reasons, or because they are anorexic. If you are
anorexic, bad breath is only one of the reasons to stop starving
yourself. Read
How to Cope if You Want to Become Anorexic.
- Talk to a doctor.
If you've followed the above steps diligently and the bad breath
persists, you may have a medical issue that needs to be treated. Here
are some of the potential culprits:
Tonsil stones. These are lumps of calcified food, mucus and
bacteria that appear as white spots on your tonsils. If seen, they can
be mistaken for a throat infection, although sometimes they are not
visible to the naked eye. You might also notice a metallic taste in
your mouth, and/or pain when swallowing.
[2]
- Diabetic ketoacidosis. If you have diabetes,
it may be causing your body to burn fat instead of glucose, creating
the ketone breath referred to in the previous step. This is a serious
condition that needs to be treated as soon as possible.[3]
- Trimethylaminuria. If your body can't break down a chemical called
trimethylamine, it will be released in your saliva, causing bad breath.
It'll also be released in your sweat, so persistent body odor might be
an accompanying symptom.[3]
