If you’ve been chewing gum, chomping on breath mints, and inhaling oral sprays in an effort to conquer bad breath, you aren’t fighting the problem at its source. The key to fighting bad breath is to minimize oral infections, cavities, and gum disease. Bad breath is generally caused by oral infections, because bacterial tartar and plaque emit bad odors.

The first step to controlling bad breath is controlling plaque and tartar accumulation. You’re probably already taking steps to defeat bad breath if you’re brushing at least twice a day. Along with brushing it’s important to floss every day in order to eliminate plaque between teeth. You may also benefit from incorporating an antimicrobial rinse into you oral hygiene routine.

Along with cleaning your teeth, you can minimize bad odors by controlling what you eat. Foods high in sugars and starches contribute to bad breath—these are ideal substances for oral bacteria. If you do consume foods with a lot of sugar and starch, try to clean your teeth quickly after eating, or at least rinse with water. Better yet, replace some of those harmful treats with helpful foods such as fruits like oranges and kiwis (both high in vitamin C) or healthful vegetables like broccoli.  Crunchy vegetables are a great choice because they can help clear plaque of teeth as you chew.

The trick to maintaining fresh breath is to treat bad breath at its source. Don’t try to mask bad breath with products like mints, gums, and sprays. These products may ultimately make chronic bad breath worse, since many of them are high in sugar. Rather, treat the root cause of bad breath, and eliminate plaque and tartar build-up.

If you’re fighting chronic bad breath, give our Westfield general dentists a call. The team at our Westfield dental office can help you develop an oral treatment plan that will keep you smiling confidently for years!