Simple Tips for Battling Chronic Bad Breath

It can be embarrassing to have bad breath, but to have to deal with it as an going issue can be
unbearably frustrating.

Chronic bad breath may be trying to tell you something about your oral health in addition to
impacting your professional life and your personal relationships.

When you’re at your wit’s end dealing with your bad breath, these simple tips may be able to
help alleviate the issue and get your smile back on track!

Floss

If you aren’t flossing daily, you’re allowing plaque, food particles, and other bacteria to get
stuck between your teeth. Your toothbrush can’t reach in between your teeth to access these
tight spaces, and so the material is left to sit there and accumulate.

Over time, this debris can cause a putrid smell, which may be contributing to your chronic bad
breath. If you haven’t flossed in a while, it’s time to start. Use about 18 inches of floss and use a
new, clean section of the floss for each pair of teeth that you floss between.

Flossing may be uncomfortable or cause bleeding the first time, but your mouth should quickly
become accustomed to the practice and you might just help your bad breath!

See Your Dentist

Chronic bad breath could be a sign of an ongoing infection, such as that which is present with
gum disease. In fact, having bad breath that doesn’t go away is a common sign that gum
disease is present.

If gum disease is caught early, it’s relatively easy to reverse. Your dentist can conduct a deep
cleaning to remove any infection or plaque that’s built up around or underneath the gumline.

Since gum disease is very common—nearly half of all Americans have some form of it—there’s
no need to panic, but you should schedule an appointment with your dentist to address the
problem. If gum disease is found to be the cause of your bad breath, the problem will go away
with treatment!

Brush Your Tongue

A lot of bacteria can accumulate on your tongue, and people don’t always remember to brush
this part of their mouth. However, brushing your tongue is as simple as using your toothbrush
or a tongue scraper to brush away bacteria that’s accumulated there.

If your oral care routine doesn’t include tongue brushing, try adding this practice and see if it
helps your chronic bad breath—it might just help you to have a cleaner, fresher mouth!

Drink More Water

If you’re not drinking enough water throughout the day, dry mouth could be contributing to
your chronic bad breath. Many people don’t realize that a dry mouth can mean a stinky mouth!
Saliva plays an important role in balancing bacteria and protecting our teeth from harmful
acids.

When you don’t drink enough water, there’s not enough saliva present to do its job, so bad
bacteria can quickly cause your breath to turn sour. So not only is not drinking enough water
negatively impacting your smile—it could also be causing bad breath!

Do you experience bad breath on a regular basis? When it seems like nothing is helping and
your bad breath always returns, it’s time to seek help from your dentist. He or she can help
determine if gum disease is causing your chronic bad breath and help you have a healthy smile
again!

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Simple Tips for Battling Chronic Bad Breath
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Simple Tips for Battling Chronic Bad Breath
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Chronic bad breath may be trying to tell you something about your oral health in addition to impacting your professional life and your personal relationships.
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