How To Get Rid of Bad Breath

If your breath doesn’t smell minty fresh, you’re far from alone. Bad breath—also known as halitosis—is a common concern. Fortunately, most people can get rid of bad breath by improving their oral hygiene or switching up their diet.

Dental hygiene includes flossing, brushing, and cleaning any devices that go into your mouth (such as dentures). You'll also want to see your dentist regularly.

If you have persistent bad breath, you can talk to a healthcare provider about other possible causes and solutions.

What's Causing Your Bad Breath?

Before you can get rid of bad breath, you need to know what’s causing it. The most common cause is poor dental hygiene. When you don’t take proper care of your teeth, bacteria can build up and produce a foul-smelling odor. This is especially true if you develop gum disease, cavities, or other dental problems.

Other possible causes of bad breath include:

• Diet: You can develop bad breath if you eat certain foods such as garlic, onions, or coffee or follow certain diets like the keto diet.
• Dry mouth: Saliva washes out your mouth throughout the day, so not getting enough of it can lead to bad breath.
• Smoking: People who smoke are more likely to develop gum disease and bad breath.
• Health conditions and medical treatments: In some cases, bad breath can be related to health conditions such as sinusitis, diabetes, liver disease, or kidney disease. Some disorders can cause unique odors. For example, diabetes can cause a potentially life-threatening condition called ketoacidosis, which is associated with a fruity breath odor. Meanwhile, people with chronic kidney failure may experience an ammonia-like breath odor. Certain medical treatments (including cancer treatments) and medications can also contribute to bad breath.

How To Treat Bad Breath

How you treat your bad breath will depend on what’s causing it. In most cases, you’ll need to improve your oral hygiene. You may also benefit from managing any health conditions and making certain dietary and lifestyle changes.

Improve Your Oral Hygiene

Bad breath is typically the result of bacteria buildup on your teeth. You can remove this bacteria by maintaining proper oral hygiene.

Brush at least twice daily for at least two minutes each time. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and be sure to reach the gumline and each side of every tooth. Your toothpaste should contain fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay.

Consider an electric toothbrush if you have gum disease. Electric toothbrushes may be more effective than manual toothbrushes. Your dentist may also recommend antibacterial mouthwashes or toothpaste.

You should floss at least once a day. This cleans bacteria from the areas your toothbrush can’t reach. String floss is the most popular option, but it can be hard for some people to hold. You can handle string floss more easily by using a floss holder or threader. Alternatively, you could try small interdental brushes or a water flosser.

Be gentle while brushing and flossing. Avoid scrubbing hard or pressing down while brushing and don't try to force your floss into place.

Your tongue can also collect bacteria, so be sure to clean your tongue, as well. You can do this with either a toothbrush or tongue scraper. This can help freshen your breath and help get rid of any white coating on your tongue.

Make sure to clean any appliances that you put in your mouth, such as retainers or dentures. Otherwise, you may be placing appliances covered with bacteria into your mouth, which could cause bad breath.

Get Dental Care

Experts suggest seeing your dentist at least once a year for routine checkups and cleanings. However, you should go to the dentist more often if you have risk factors or warning signs of gum disease, such as persistent bad breath. This gives your dentist a chance to detect gum disease early.

If you do have gum disease, your dentist can usually treat it with a regular cleaning or a deep cleaning, depending on severity. In some cases, you may need medication or corrective surgery. After treatment, it's important to maintain proper oral hygiene to prevent gum disease from coming back.

Try Home Remedies

Many home remedies can offer a temporary solution to bad breath. For example, chewing on fresh parsley or a strong mint can often mask bad breath.

Rinsing with a cosmetic mouthwash can also relieve bad breath temporarily, but it won't address any underlying causes. For a more lasting effect, you would need a therapeutic mouthwash that kills bacteria—and even that can't replace brushing and flossing.

You can also manage dry mouth, a common cause of bad breath, with home remedies like chewing sugar-free gum and sucking on sugarless hard candy. This can stimulate the flow of saliva, which will help clean your mouth. Another option is to use a humidifier at night.

Make Diet and Lifestyle Changes

You can get bad breath from eating certain foods like garlic, spices, and onions. If this is the cause of your bad breath, then your breath should improve when you cut back on the offending foods.

Changing your diet can be useful even if no specific food seems to be causing your bad breath. Eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables—and cutting back on sweets and sweetened drinks—can reduce your risk for cavities and improve your oral health.

If your bad breath is related to dry mouth, drink plenty of water. Limit caffeine and alcohol, since they can dry out your mouth further.

Quitting smoking and tobacco will also benefit your oral health by reducing your risk of gum disease, tooth decay, and bad breath.

Manage Health Conditions

Many health conditions can cause or contribute to bad breath, including:

• Diabetes
• Gum disease
• Lung infection
• Sinus infection
• Throat infection
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Managing any underlying health conditions can often relieve bad breath.

Keep in mind that certain medical treatments and medications can also cause or worsen bad breath. Tell your healthcare provider if you believe your bad breath may be related to a medical treatment. They may be able to modify your treatment plan or give advice on how to manage your oral health during treatment. They can also prescribe medication or artificial saliva if your bad breath is related to dry mouth.

How To Prevent Bad Breath

Once you get rid of your bad breath, you can take the following steps to prevent it from coming back:

• Keep up with your oral hygiene. Continue to brush your teeth and tongue twice a day and floss once a day.
• Clean your oral appliances.
• See your dentist regularly to catch any signs of gum disease or tooth decay early.
• Continue to manage any health conditions that may cause or contribute to bad breath. 
• Don’t smoke or use tobacco.
• Limit caffeine and alcohol, and drink plenty of water.

When To See a Healthcare Provider

See your dentist if your bad breath has no obvious cause and won't go away. This is a warning sign of gum disease or poor dental health that could lead to gum disease over time.

You'll want to see a healthcare provider if you and your dentist can’t determine the cause of your bad breath. This could indicate an underlying health issue such as gastric reflux, kidney disease, or a sinus condition. You should also see a healthcare provider if you're having symptoms of a respiratory infection like cough or fever along with bad breath.

Your healthcare provider will review your medical history and ask questions about your symptoms. They'll also perform a physical exam and inspect your nose and mouth. They may swab your throat if you have mouth sores or a sore throat.

If your healthcare provider is concerned about certain health conditions, they may perform X-rays, blood tests, or an endoscopy to help make a diagnosis.

A Quick Review

Bad breath is usually the result of poor oral hygiene. However, it has other potential causes like diet, smoking, and disease.

You can typically get rid of bad breath by maintaining proper oral hygiene and getting dental care. Depending on the cause, you may also benefit from diet and lifestyle changes, home remedies, and treatment of medical conditions.