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As a dental hygienist one of the top questions that I receive is ‘How can I stop bad breath?’ Well, there are several factors to consider with regard to what actually causes it. Once we understand these factors, the methods to prevent it are quite straight forward. Bad breath is caused by certain types of bacteria that release a sulfur compound, which can also be found in foods like onions, garlic and other strong smelling foods.

There are strong links between bad oral hygiene and bad breath - this is the most prevalent cause. If flossing is skipped, a whole surface of the tooth is being missed, which gives the plaque bacteria a chance to become mature, diversified, and develop a smell. The same goes if brushing is skipped or done halfheartedly, with areas only being skimmed over. Plaque bacteria start to build up on the teeth as soon as you’ve brushed them- this is normal and can’t be avoided. However with regular brushing and flossing, we can keep the plaque to a minimum.

Part of the mouth that regularly gets overlooked is the tongue. The surface of the tongue is a rough surface where lots of ‘bugs’ can get caught and hide, and as we already know, if the plaque gets a chance to become mature, bad smells can start to develop. Investing in a tongue scraper, or even using your toothbrush- starting at the very back and scraping forward- will remove much of the bacteria sitting on the tongue.

Another cause of bad breath can be from within the actual digestive system itself. This is usually because of an imbalance of the bacteria within the digestive system. Eating a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables along with drinking lots of water should keep things in check.

For a quick fix however, a few of the following tips should help:

• Chewing on certain herbs such as parsley, spearmint, mint, or coriander can help to eliminate odours.
• Eating crunchy fibrous foods such as apples and carrots can help as they tend to remove soft plaque from the teeth, in a cleansing motion. They also help to keep the mouth moist.
• Dry mouth can emphasise bad breath as bacteria that don’t require oxygen become more prevalent, and in general these are the culprits in causing bad breath. Keep the mouth moist by drinking lots of water, and if necessary salivary substitutes are available in most pharmacies.
• For a very quick fix chewing gum is ideal - but only temporarily masks the problem
• Attend your dental hygienist regularly as they can guide you in the best practices to keep the teeth and gums free of plaque. Sometimes only a small change to your daily dental routine can have a massive impact.