Everything you can do to kill bad breath

Nothing gets your confidence down like persistant bad breath. Who can focus properly on conversations when you’re worrying about the other person copping a whiff of your offensive mouth odour!?

If you’ve been told by a well-intentioned loved one that your breath isn’t fresh, or you’ve seen people wince when you’re speaking too close to them, you might need to change up some parts of your oral-care routine. 

We’ve put together a list of eight of the most effective ways to nip stanky breath in the bud, once and for all. 

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Invest in a quality toothbrush 

Manual brushing can do the job, but if your breath is consistently off, a powerful electric toothbrush could help. It’s possible when you’re using your regular brush that you’re either not brushing for long enough, or missing spots. New age brushes like the Oral-B GENIUS 9000 Rose Gold can remove up to 100 per cent more plaque than regular toothbrushes, and plaque is a leading cause of bad breath. 

bh loves: Colgate ProClinical® C250 Black Toothbrush, FOREO ISSA Hybrid, Oral-B GENIUS 9000 Rose Gold 

Don’t just stop at your teeth

Many of us believe that once you’re finished brushing your teeth, your mouth is clean. We’re here to tell you that’s not the case. Both cleaning your tongue with a tongue scraper and flossing your teeth are an essential component of your daily dental hygiene routine. If you’ve been noticing your breath has been off, it’s very possible you’re just not cleaning your mouth as thoroughly as you should be. 

bh loves: Caredent Floss In A Box, Oral-B Satin Floss, Colgate Total® Waxed Dental Floss, Black Chicken Remedies Copper Tongue Cleaner (adorebeauty.com.au, $12)

Avoid stinky foods

Certain foods are notorious for causing bad breath. Onion, garlic and some spices can leave your breath stinking for hours after you’ve finished your meal. You don’t have to stop eating those foods (we’d never try and get between you and your French onion dip) but if you know you’re going to be eating them, maybe take some mouthwash or a toothbrush with you to give yourself a post-meal refresh. 

Stop smoking 

Smoking wreaks havoc on the whole body, but it’s espescially tough on the mouth. It can increase instances of gum disease and oral thrush, both of which are hefty contributers to bad breath. With New Years just around the corner, quit smoking once and for all and you’ll see a stark improvement in the quality of your breath. 

bh loves: Nicorette 16hr Invisipatch Step 1 (priceline.com.au, $49.95), Nicabate Extra Fresh Mint Gum Quit Smoking ($12.99). 

Keep your mouth moist

A healthy amount of saliva helps flush away dead cells and food particles, so when your mouth is dry those germs hang around – resulting in bad breath. To ease the symptoms, make sure you’re drinking a healthy amount of water. Caffeine can also make the issue worse, so you may want to look into swapping your coffee cup for a drink bottle.

Similarly, mouthwashes that contain alcohol can exacerbate the issue, so make sure you’re going for an alcohol-free version for fresh breath. If you’re waking up in the morning with espescially bad breath, having a humidifer going while you’re sleeping can too, work wonders for your mouth. 

bh loves: Oil Garden Smart Vaporiser & Humidifier, Colgate Plax Fresh Tea Mouthwash.  

Take a probiotic

Bad gut health equals bad breath. Anything you eat and can’t pass stays in the digestive tract and begins to ferment, resulting in bad breath. To keep your digestive system moving, invest in a probiotic that has been formulated to support gastrointestinal health. 

bh loves: Abeeco Ultra Collagen, Nature’s Way Super Greens Plus Powder, Swisse Ultibiotic Daily Digestive Probiotic

Keep a breath freshener in your purse

This one isn’t a long-term solution, but while you’re waiting on your new routine to work it’s magic on your breath, carrying a breath freshner spray in your purse can help alleviate the bad smell temporarily. 

bh loves: Aveda Peppymint Breath Freshener,  Abeeco Propolis & Manuka Honey Throat Spray, Ultrafresh Coolmint Breah Spray (priceline.com.au, $4.49). 

Book in to see your dentist

Bad breath can be a symptom of something more serious at play, so if symptoms persist book in to have a proper check up and clean to see if there’s something else that’s causing the problem.