 | Visit your dentist
regularly.
|
| Have your teeth cleaned
periodically by a dental professional.
|
| Floss or otherwise clean
between your teeth, as recommended by your dentist. Choose unscented floss
so that you can detect those areas between your teeth that give off odors,
and clean them more carefully.
|
| Brush your teeth and gums
properly.
|
| Ask your dentist to
recommend a toothbrush or scraper for your tongue. Clean your tongue all the
way back gently, but thoroughly.
|
| Drink plenty of liquids.
|
| Chew sugar-free gum for a
minute or two at a time, especially if your mouth feels dry. chewing
parsley, mint, cloves or fennel seeds may also help.
|
| Clean your mouth after
eating or drinking milk products, fish and meat.
|
| Unless your dentist
advises otherwise, soak dentures overnight in antiseptic solution.
|
| Get control over the
problem. Ask a family member to tell you whenever you have bad breath.
|
| If someone in your family
or a close friend has bad breath, find a kind way to let them know. If you
can't tell them directly, leave this fact file lying around. They may get
the message.
|
| Ask your dentist to
recommend a mouthwash which has been shown to be clinically effective in
fighting bad breath.
|
| Use it most effectively
right before sleeping.
|
| Eat fresh, fibrous
vegetables such as carrots. |
| Don't let your concern
about having bad breath run your life. Don't be passive.
|
| Don't be depressed. Get
help. Don't ignore your gums - you can lose your teeth as well as smell bad.
|
| Don't drink too much
coffee - it may make the situation worse.
|
| Don't forget to clean
behind the back teeth in each row.
|
| Don't brush your tongue
with regular toothpaste - it's better to dip your toothbrush in mouthwash
for tongue cleaning.
|
| Don't run to the
gastroenterologist for concerns of having bad breath - it usually comes from
the mouth and almost never from the stomach.
|
| Don't give mouthwash to
very young children, as they can swallow it.
|
| Don't clean your tongue
so hard that it hurts.
|
| Don't rely on mouthwash
alone - practice complete oral hygiene. |
