How to keep your mouth smelling fresh. File Picture: Days of the year
Celebrated each year, National Fresh Breath Day serves as a friendly reminder that oral hygiene and the fresh breath are part of healthy, daily habits.
In celebration of national fresh breath day, IOL has compiled a list of eight practical tips to keep your breath minty fresh all day long.
Brush your teeth and floss regularly
For optimal oral hygiene and fresh breath, it's essential to brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss at least once a day. This routine effectively clears away food particles and harmful bacteria that get trapped between your teeth and gums.
Clean your tongue
Your tongue can also accumulate germs, dead cells, and food particles, contributing to bad breath. For this reason, it's important to brush your tongue with your toothbrush or use a tongue cleaner to remove these substances.
Visit your dentist
If you are already practising good oral care habits but still have bad breath, it might be time to see your dentist to check if your breath is being caused by a more serious issue.
Update the equipment
Brushing your teeth builds a foundation for good oral care, and promoting fresh breath is a part of this process. But you need to make sure you're using a good toothbrush. That means replacing it more frequently than you might think.
Drink water
Water is essential for maintaining good health in multiple ways, and it also plays a key role in promoting fresh breath. By staying hydrated, your body can flush out toxins and keep your mouth moist, which helps stimulate saliva production.
Eat your greens
Incorporating green vegetables into your diet can help combat bad breath by creating an alkaline environment in your body. Foods like spinach, kale, and broccoli are alkaline in nature, which helps neutralise the acidity that contributes to foul breath.
Chew sugarless gum
Chewing gum assists in removing bacteria in the mouth by increasing the production of saliva; however, choosing a sugar free variety is vital because otherwise the sugar in the gum will feed the bacteria that is already in the mouth, which leads to bad breath.
Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption
Alcohol consumption can cause significant damage to the micro-organisms in your mouth, which are essential to your oral health and the balance of your oral ecosystem. Overindulging in alcohol can lead to a range of oral health issues including bad breath, dry mouth, and even tooth decay.
IOL Lifestyle