Bad breath has many culprits. No matter how diligent you are with your oral health routine, you simply can’t escape the stink left behind by certain foods, drinks, or a good night’s sleep. Learn more about the most common causes of bad breath and how to freshen up in a flash!
MORNING BREATH
Fact:
nobody wakes up with fresh breath. While we’re asleep, our mouths can’t create the
saliva needed to flush out those miniscule bits of bad breath-causing bacteria
left behind by the brush. The dryer the mouth, the stronger the dragon breath.
How to fix it:
Nothing
will prevent morning breath completely. But staying hydrated, brushing and flossing
before bed, and using an
all-natural
mouthwash
can certainly help make you more kissable in the morning.
COFFEE BREATH
When
it comes to coffee breath, caffeine is to blame. Just like when you’re sleeping,
caffeine slows your saliva production to minimum, creating a ripe breeding
ground for odor-causing bacteria.
How to fix it:
Eat
an apple with your coffee. The naturally-occurring enzymes in apples help to
kick-start saliva production and flush bacteria away. If you’re not an apple
fan, follow your latte up with a tall glass of water and pop an organic mint!
GARLIC BREATH
Garlic
has a lot going on when it comes to stink breath chemistry. The most notable halitosis-inducing
ingredient is allyl methyl sulphide, which gives the root it’s strong aroma. In
addition to promoting bacteria growth in your mouth, this sulphuric compound seeps
into your blood stream, which means you literally sweat it out.
How to fix it:
To
prevent the garlic sweats, simply go easy on your portions. To nix the breath
issue, PeppermMint is our favorite natural assassin. Check out our
recent
post
on the subject for a few other effective solutions.
FISH BREATH
We
love sushi as much as the next guy, but the sad truth is that eating fish leaves
you with some seriously foul breath.
How to fix it:
Finishing
your meal with a mug of green tea can help tame the beast, but to beat fish
breath for good, stick to basics with a thorough flossing and brushing.
BEER BREATH
Like
garlic, beer is brimming with stinky, bacteria promoting compounds. It’s also a
diuretic which dries out your mouth leaving you no saliva to flush that
bacteria out.
How to fix it:
Drink
water with fresh lemon. It’ll kill bad breath
and lessen your hangover.
DOG BREATH
Your
dog’s mouth is affected by a whole different set of bacteria than yours, but the
result is all the same. Check out our
tips
to banish dog breath and improve canine health
.
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