It is often said that preventing a problem can be better than a cure - accordingly, preventing bad breath can be done by avoiding its causes.
Bad breath can readily be prevented when it is at its earlier stages.
It is always best to get rid of it before it develops into Halitosis, which is chronic condition.
The following are 2 general methods in preventing bad breath before it can even start: 1.
Keep Your Mouth Clean and Free of Debris.
Foul breath, most simply, is caused by bacteria.
In the mouth, bacteria can grow especially rapidly when food debris and meat strands are trapped in the crevices of the mouth.
You can easily remove these food left overs by using simple dental hygiene.
First, floss between your teeth to loosen any stuck pieces of food.
Second, brush your teeth with a proper toothpaste to further loosen any pieces of food.
Third, rinse out your mouth with some non-alcohol based mouth wash and some water to remove the food from your mouth.
Bacteria very often resides in the tongue.
The surface of the tongue traps dead cells and micro food particles where bacteria start to decay the particles.
If you've ever noticed a white or yellowish coating on the surface of your tongue in the morning: you have seen the presence of bacteria.
To help get rid of bacteria, use a tongue scraper to leave no trace of trapped food.
Starting from the back of the mouth, carefully scrape the tongue to the tip.
Repeat as desired but be cautious to not overdo it, as it may bleed.
The very back of the tongue cannot be scraped, but many bacteria live in it.
To get rid of these bacteria, use a non-alcohol based mouth wash and religiously gargle it to give special attention to the back part of the tongue.
Make sure the mouthwash has penetrated to every part of the mouth for best results.
Generally, keeping your mouth clean is the most reliable way of preventing foul breath.
2.
Keep Your Mouth Hydrated.
A dry mouth is a very favorable environment for bad bacteria.
One, because bacteria are readily evaporated into the air where their odor carries easier.
Also, when dry, the mouth's pH balance is changed and this promotes bacterial growth.
To keep the mouth hydrated, drink a small amount of water every few minutes to flush the bacteria away while keeping the saliva fresh.
This is doubly useful because saliva has antibacterial properties that can kill bacteria, thus lessening the foul breath.
Another way to keep your mouth hydrated is to eat juicy fruits.
The juices from the fruits will help to keep your mouth hydrated as well as help eliminate toxins in the body that might produce bad breath.
Also, the chewing action stimulates saliva secretion, which helps to keep the mouth hydrated as well.
The suggestions mentioned above are effective in preventing bad breath at an early stage.
There are two general stages of bad breath: transient and chronic bad breath.
Transient bad breath can be treated instantly.
It may be caused by the food you have eaten or skipping oral hygiene.
Halitosis, however, falls under chronic bad breath.
This stage needs more attention and deeper cleaning of the tongue, gum lines and cheeks.
If these basic methods do not help you in preventing bad breath, seek out more information or consult with a doctor.
Treating halitosis is not impossible.
People who suffer from it can have fresh clean breath again, often after getting guidance from a knowledgeable source on the problem.