Other general tips for bad breath

Average rating:

Other things which are important to keep your teeth and gums healthy are:

If you smoke, try to stop. Gum disease is more common in smokers than non-smokers.
Eat a well balanced healthy diet. In particular, you should limit the amount of sugary foods and drinks that you have. Sugars and sugary foods in the mouth are the main foods that bacteria thrive on to make acid which can contribute to tooth decay.
If children need medicines, wherever possible use sugar free medicines.
Have regular dental checks at intervals recommended by your dentist (this is normally at least once a year). A dentist can detect excessive build up of plaque and remove calculus.

Early gum disease can be detected and treated to prevent it from getting worse.

Other things you can do if you have bad breath

The measures above are usually sufficient to look after your teeth. However, if you also have bad breath coming from your mouth:

Mouthwashes

Consider using a mouthwash each day. Chemicals in the mouthwash aim to kill bacteria and/or neutralise any chemicals that cause bad breath. It is difficult to advise on which mouthwash is the most effective. A number of clinical trials have shown that various ingredients are good at reducing bad breath. These include: chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, chlorine dioxide, zinc chloride and triclosan. The various mouthwashes that you can buy usually contain one or more of these ingredients, plus various other ingredients.

Note: some people are reluctant to use a chlorhexidine-containing mouthwash long-term. This is because it has an unpleasant taste, can give rise to a burning sensation in the mouth if used too frequently, and can cause (reversible) staining of the teeth.

Note: some mouthwashes contain alcohol as one of their ingredients. There is some concern that long-term use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes may be a risk factor in the development of mouth cancer.

Young children should not use a mouthwash if they may swallow it.

Tongue cleaning

Consider cleaning the back of your tongue each day. Some people do this with a soft toothbrush dipped in mouthwash (not toothpaste). An easier and better way is to buy a special plastic tongue scraper from a pharmacy. You need to place it as far back as you can and then gently scrape forward to clear the tongue of any coating. A review in 2006 (cited at the end) concluded that ... "tongue scrapers or cleaners are slightly more effective than toothbrushes as a means of controlling halitosis in adults".

Chewing gum

Some people chew sugar free gum after each meal. It is not clear how well gum helps to reduce bad breath but chewing gum increases the flow of saliva. Saliva helps to 'flush' the mouth to help clear any debris remaining from the meal.

If you have dentures and have bad breath

You may not be cleaning them properly. Ask your dentist for advice on cleaning dentures.

Further help and advice

British Dental Health Foundation Helpline: 0845 063 1188 Web: www.dentalhealth.org.uk Runs a free helpline providing independent and impartial advice on all aspects of oral health.

References

M Rosenberg Clinical assessment of bad breath: current concepts Journal of the American Dental Association 127:475-482, 1996
Halitosis Clinical Evidence Search date December 2003
Feller L and Blignaut E Halitosis: a review SADJ 2005 Feb;60(1):17-9.

Rate this!