Bad breath is one of the most embarrassing things to deal with, especially when you’re on a date. Over 73 percent of ladies stated bad breath would immediately ruin a date, according to a recent survey of 4,000 women by fragrance retailer FragranceX.
Bad breath may also be a sign of underlying health issues like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gum disease, mouth sores, and more. Before calling your matchmaker, try these healthy and effective ways to improve your breath first.
Keep Your Mouth Moist
The reason behind your bad breath may be because your mouth isn’t producing enough saliva. Saliva has properties that break down food, so they don’t get stuck in your teeth. They also have proteins that damage the cell walls of some bacteria, rendering them inactive and unable to stink up your breath.
If you’re suffering from dry mouth, here are remedies you could try:
Drink More Water – Dehydration doesn’t only slow you down, it also makes your mouth really dry, and ultimately unpleasant-smelling. It’s recommended to drink more than 2 liters of water throughout the day. Apart from helping you generate more saliva, water helps cleanse your mouth, tongue, and teeth of bacteria.
Be More Mindful of Your Breathing – You may be subconsciously breathing through your mouth sometimes. This dries out your mouth quickly. If you catch yourself doing this, start breathing through your nose as soon as possible. And if you find it difficult to do so, consult a doctor, as your nose may be congested.
Chew Some Gum – Chewing gum and candies can stimulate your salivary glands and cause you to produce more saliva. It’s best to chew on sugar-free ones to lessen the chances of tooth decay caused by sugar.
Scrape Your Tongue Properly
Your tongue is made up of tiny bumps that bacteria can hide in. Most of them are good bacteria that help break down and digest food better. Some, however, may be problematic ones that can cause tooth decay, gum infections, and bad breath. As such, it’s important to keep your tongue clean. But it isn’t as simple as scraping it with your toothbrush.
You’ll need a tongue scraper with special bristles that fit in your tongue’s bumps perfectly. Use this after every brush, applying just enough pressure to scrape the tongue without hurting it. Rinse the scraper after each pass and you should have a fresher and cleaner tongue afterward.
Fix Your Gut
Sometimes, bad breath may not come from your mouth but from your gut as well. An improper balance of acid can cause GERD or ulcers that create an unpleasant smell that can mix with your breath. If this is the case, keep acidic food and drinks, like soda, meat, dairy, and more, to a minimum. You should also consider eating probiotic food, like yogurt after every meal, as it can help balance the acids in your stomach.
Bad breath is an embarrassing and concerning problem, especially for those who want to get into the dating scene. It’s a huge turnoff for a lot of people. Some cases may be fixed by keeping the mouth moist and clean, but the issue may lie deeper in your digestive system. If that’s your situation, consult your doctor. Fresh breath may give you the fresh start you’ve always needed in your dating life.
