Bad breath under your mask? Follow these tips

Wearing a face mask will keep you and others safer when you have to leave the house. That’s the good news.

Although bad breath can happen because of a medical infection, diabetes, kidney failure or a liver malfunction, the most common reason is poor oral hygiene.

Here are five ways to combat bad breath and make wearing a mask a more pleasant experience.

Avoid certain foods: Onions and garlic add flavor to many foods, but also add odors not easily brushed away.

“The substances that cause their bad smells make their way into your bloodstream and travel to your lungs, where you breathe them out,” dentist Richard Price, a spokesman for the American Dental Association, told WebMD.

The best way to avoid the problem is to avoid the foods.

Stop smoking: Tobacco products adversely affect your health in ways other than causing cancer, like damaging your gums, staining your teeth and causing bad breath.

Avoid dry mouth: “Saliva is the key ingredient in your mouth that helps keep the odor under control because it helps wash away food particles and bacteria,” according to Know Your Teeth. If you aren’t producing much saliva, try drinking water or chewing sugarless gum.

Brush and floss: WebMD recommends you brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once to reduce plaque. The sticky buildup on your teeth collects bacteria that cause bad breath, and trapped food adds to the problem.

Don’t overdo things, though, the experts warn. If you brush too hard you can wear down your teeth, making them vulnerable to decay.

Scrape/brush your tongue: Bacteria don’t just live on your teeth. To rid your tongue of odor causing bacteria, remember to brush it when you clean your teeth. If your toothbrush is too big to reach the back of your tongue, buy a scraper.