Imagine a scenario where you’re on one of the greatest dates of your life – delicious dinner, attractive 
companion (whom you seem to be highly compatible with), great atmosphere, etc. The night is coming to a close and you realize you will probably have to kiss your date goodnight.’ Now the dinner you just consumed is coming back to haunt you (the garlic, the onions, etc.), you perform the quick breath-in-hand-to-nose’ procedure to gauge the severity of your bad breath. Don’t have mints? Chewing gum too obvious? What do you do?!
Everyone experiences bad breath at the most inconvenient times – dates, meetings, interviews, etc. Although medical causes can sometimes be the reason for bad breath, more often than not, avoiding bad breath can easily be combated by a few personal changes in your daily life.
Don’t:
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Smoke: While there are a multitude of reasons to quit the bad habit of smoking, one of the more obvious ones is to devoid yourself of the smell externally (clothes/body) and internally (your mouth). Not only does smoking damage your gum tissue, it can stain your teeth and increases your risk of oral cancer.
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Eat strong odored foods: Be a vampire and avoid onions and garlic at all costs. Okay, I may have exaggerated a little, but seriously try to avoid them on important dates or crucial business lunches. The reason onions and garlic cause such an extreme smell is because they contain elements that make their way into your bloodstream and travel to your lungs, until you finally breathe them out. Unfortunately, brushing just can’t help much with garlic or onion breath.
Do:
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Floss: Flossing isn’t only necessary for your oral health by preventing cavities, but it dislodges food particles that would be otherwise stuck between your teeth and are trapping bacteria, causing a distinctive odor.
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Tongue Scraper: Invest in a tongue scraper. It only adds a few mere seconds to your brushing routine, while effectively banishing bad breath. Your tongue can often be the root of bad breath due to a layer of stinky bacteria that accumulates on it. There are specific tongue scraping tools you can purchase, or you can simply brush your tongue for a few seconds with an everyday toothbrush.
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Chew Sugarless Gum: If you can’t brush your teeth immediately after eating, try rinsing out your mouth with water or chewing sugarless gum about 20 minutes after mealtime. Chewing (gum in this case) stimulates saliva production, which combats bacteria and cavities. Skip the breath mints or sugary gum, which will essentially mask your breath on the short term but cause other dental problems in the long run as the sugar sits on your teeth.
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Eat yogurt: Yogurt replenishes the good bacteria in the gut and promotes a healthier mouth – ultimately causing a sweeter smelling breath. Sears recommends celery “to remove stinky bacteria”. You may also try eating parsley between meals to freshen breath. Parsley supposedly has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
However, if you’re concerned about the cause of your bad breath or any other dental needs, contact Lakeway Cosmetic Dentistry and schedule a free consultation today!