5 Bad Breath Fixes

Avoid the embarrassment of bad breath over the holiday season

CHEW ON THIS

When out at a cafe or restaurant, munch on the sprig of parsley left on your plate at the end of the meal. Parsley is rich in chlorophyll, a known breath deodoriser with germ-fighting qualities. If there’s no parsley, eat an orange. The citric acid it contains will stimulate your salivary glands and encourage the flow of breathfreshening saliva.

GO NATURAL

Breath-fresheners, like mints and sprays, are rarely effective in the long run. Instead, try using a mouthwash containing chlorine dioxide (a gas used in small amounts to purify water). This can dismantle the sulphur compounds that are responsible for breath odour. Or use a toothpaste that contains tea-tree oil, a natural disinfectant.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR TONGUE

Vigorously scrape your tongue over your teeth. Your tongue can become coated with bacteria that ferment proteins, producing gases that smell bad. Scraping your tongue can dislodge these bacteria so you can rinse them away.

DON’T SKIP MEALS

When you don’t eat for a long period of time, your mouth can get very dry. It becomes a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

CHECK YOUR BREATH YOURSELF

Just how bad is your breath? To find out, cup your hands over your mouth, exhale heartily, and take a whiff. If your breath smells bad to you, it smells bad to others too. You can also perform the ‘sniff test’ on dental floss after you pull it gently between your teeth.