Combating bad breath
Bad breath is something that affects us all and shouldn’t be something to be ashamed about. Roughly £285million is spent each year on tackling bad breath. There are a number of causes of bad breath but also numerous ways to combat it.
What can cause bad breath?
You can get bad breath a number of different ways, with some more serious than others. The leading cause of bad breath is remaining food particles, resulting in a build up of bacteria. Built up bacteria can cause inflammation.
More serious cases that lead to bad breath include; gum disease, diabetes and cavities.
People wearing Invisalign aligners will find they’ll develop bad breath if they have not cleaned their aligners. This would also be a result of built up bacteria.
How to solve bad breath
The majority of ways to combat bad breath are just changes to your lifestyle. The main ways are:
- Brush, floss and rinse daily
- Clean your tongue
- Rinse your mouth with water regularly
- Stay hydrated
- Drink less caffeine- change from regular tea to green tea
- Eat crunchy fruits and vegetables
- Avoid high protein and low carb diets
- Stop smoking
- Visit dentist and hygienist regularly
Many people believe that having mints or chewing gum will deal with bad breath. It does not. Having a mint or chewing gum will work as a quick fix, although you should only use sugar free mints/gum. Sugar would stick to your teeth and make the problem even worse.
While wearing Invisalign aligners, it is important to clean them every chance you can. It is also vital that you brush your teeth before you put your aligners back in, this is help prevent the build up of bacteria in your aligners.
Your breath wont be minty fresh all the time but following these simple steps can help your breath improve over time. These are also steps that need to be continued regularly to prevent bad breath coming back.