How To Reduce Mouth Smell?
Discover effective ways to reduce mouth smell with home remedies, proper oral hygiene, and professional treatment options. Learn how to prevent bad odour in the mouth and maintain fresh breath with simple daily habits and advanced practices.
Bad breath, medically termed halitosis, is an oral health disorder where foul-smelling breath is the main issue. Usually, the common causes of this condition are poor dental hygiene, certain foods, odour-causing bacteria, periodontal disease, dry mouth, and consuming tobacco products.
However, bad breath can also be a symptom of several underlying health disorders, such as respiratory infections, chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, postnasal drip, diabetes, gut disorders, and kidney disorders. This article analyses lifestyle factors, natural remedies, and treatment options to reduce mouth smells.
General Oral Hygiene Practices to Reduce Bad Breath
Maintaining proper oral hygiene is a crucial step in reducing bad mouth smell. Here are a few tips to follow in this regard:
Brushing the teeth twice daily will reduce the mouth smell.
Certain food particles stick to the teeth, causing mouth smell. Brushing the teeth after meals helps remove them easily.
Proper flossing at least once a day helps remove food particles from sticking to the teeth. Use a floss or an interdental cleaner to remove the particles trapped in between the teeth.
A soft-bristled toothbrush cleans well. However, replace the toothbrush every 3 to 4 months to ensure effective cleaning.
Fluoride helps prevent the growth of oral bacteria that cause mouth smell. Using a toothpaste that contains fluoride will prevent the development of such bacteria.
Dietary Adjustments to Reduce Mouth Smell
Certain foods can contaminate the breath and contribute to halitosis, like:
Onions and garlic contain smelly sulfur compounds that are absorbed in the bloodstream and expelled through breath. These compounds contribute to mouth smell, which can only be reduced after these foods pass through the body.
Caffeine and alcoholic drinks create a dehydrating effect that causes dry mouth. It reduces saliva and causes bacterial growth. These bacteria stay long until these drinks pass through the body and contribute to bad breath.
Foods like cheese, meat, orange juice, soda, and pastrami can also trigger bad odour in the mouth.
Certain foods can also help in neutralising bad breath and help fight mouth smell, like:
Sugar-free chewing gums help remove food particles and dead cells from teeth, gums, and tongue and aid in saliva production. Chewing xylitol-sweetened gum for at least five minutes after meals significantly reduces mouth smell.
According to Paul Vankevich, DMD, an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, “sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol is particularly effective for fighting bad breath because xylitol inhibits mouth bacteria.”
Foods rich in Vitamin C help fight off oral bacteria when eaten raw. They also help eliminate trapped food particles in the teeth as the crunchy produce is manually abrasive.
Research by Japanese institutes concluded that consuming approximately 3 ounces of sugar-free yoghurt containing probiotic bacteria for a period of 6 weeks can help reduce bad breath. The reason is that good bacteria help reduce the sulfide compounds that cause odour.
Parsley is rich in chlorophyll, which deodorises the mouth. Cloves, anise, and fennel seeds can also help eliminate mouth smells.
Home Remedies for Fresh Breath
Following are some home remedies to follow for fresh breath:
Water acts as a cleansing agent and helps to flush out all the food particles that lead to the formation of bacteria. It also aids in the production of saliva and keeps the mouth moist. Drinking plenty of water throughout will help reduce the mouth smell.
Herbal teas like green tea and mint tea are effective home remedies to combat bad mouth smell.
Research shows that green tea has disinfectant and deodorising properties that can temporarily freshen the breath.
Sipping cool green mint tea throughout the day will help to fight bad breath. For this, it will be ideal to brew two cups of tea at night and allow it to be refrigerated.
Importance of Regular Dental Checkups To Reduce Mouth Smell
It is essential to schedule routine dental checkups at least twice a year for proper cleansing and dental hygiene:
During these regular checkups, dentists may identify any underlying dental disorders associated with bad breath and prescribe specific treatments.
For instance, gum disease loosens the gums and leaves spaces for food particles to get trapped. Removing these particles through brushing or flossing is difficult, so oral bacteria feed on them, causing a mouth smell.
Routine checkups help treat these problems and fight off bad breath.
Addressing Underlying Health Conditions to Treat Mouth Smell
Bacterial infections and gastrointestinal disorders can also contribute to bad breath in different ways:
Sinus and throat infections cause a postnasal drip, which leads to a foul mouth smell.
Lung infections lead to coughing, and such fluids leave an unpleasant odour in the breath.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) pushes fluids and stomach acids back to the oesophagus, causing a sour taste in the mouth. It leads to a foul smell.
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Managing Lifestyle Factors to Reduce Mouth Smell
Listed below are some lifestyle factors which one can manage to reduce bad mouth odour:
Alcohol and Smoking
Drinking alcohol and smoking has a dehydrating effect and drys out the mouth. It leads to bad breath as the production of saliva decreases.
Limiting alcoholic drinks and tobacco products can significantly help in reducing mouth smell.
Stress and Anxiety
When a person is anxious or stressed, the salivary glands produce less saliva. This causes bacteria to build up in the mouth, leading to bad breath.
Professional Treatments for Persistent Bad Breath
Professional dental treatments help reduce persistent bad breath that home remedies can’t cure. Here are a few treatment options depending on the condition:
Often, the cause of bad breath is poor oral health. So, the dentist suggests using an antimicrobial mouth rinse, which kills the odour-causing bacteria.
If gum disease loosens the gum line, bacteria tend to build up, making cleaning difficult through brushing and flossing. The dentist may consult a periodontist to treat the gum disease and remove the odour-causing bacteria.
Faulty fillings create space for oral bacteria breeding, leading to bad breath. Dentists may recommend replacement of these fillings to remove these odour-causing bacteria.
If persistent bad breath is caused by any non-oral medical condition, treatment involves identifying the underlying cause and focusing on reducing the symptoms of that disease. The doctor may also ask the patient to practise proper oral hygiene to reduce bad breath.
Advanced Practices for Fresh Breath
Advanced practices like tongue scraping and oral rinsing can help mitigate bad breath in the following ways:
The coating that forms on the tongue hosts odour-causing bacteria. Tongue scraping, done twice daily, helps remove any bacteria buildup across the tongue's surface area and reduces mouth smell.
A mouthwash provides added protection against bad smells in the mouth. It helps remove plaque and trapped food particles and reduces the buildup of oral bacteria.
Alcohol-free antiseptic mouthwashes are the best treatment for persistent bad breath. They contain antibacterial agents such as chlorhexidine and chlorine dioxide, which help remove oral bacteria and plaque.
Conclusion
Proper oral hygiene practices, such as brushing, flossing, and tongue scraping, help reduce persistent bad breath. Avoiding too many sugary and dairy products will help reduce the oral bacteria buildup in the mouth, which is responsible for mouth odour. Additionally, incorporating Vitamin C-rich foods, herbs, and yoghurt into the diet helps fight off odour-causing bacteria.
Choosing the right toothpaste and mouthwash helps treat oral bacteria and can reduce mouth smell. Avoid alcohol and persistent smoking, which cause dehydration and support bacteria buildup. Be consistent in oral care practices and routine dental checkups, as it helps identify the underlying root cause of bad breath.
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Consult Top Dentists
Dr. Vishnupriya
Dentist
6 Years • BDS
Bengaluru
D-Dental care, Bengaluru
Dr. Sabyasachi Das
Dentist
6 Years • BDS,MDS
Kolkata
Radiance Dental Care, Kolkata
(75+ Patients)
Dr. Durga Korapti
Dentist
10 Years • BDS, Diploma in Trichology, Diploma in Cosmetology, Diploma in Skin & Asthetic, Certificate in Asthetic Tatoo.
Hyderabad
Vital Shine Skin And Hair Studio, Hyderabad
Dr. Arti Singh
Dentist
9 Years • BDS
Ranchi
Pearl Dental, Ranchi
Dr. Ivy Ghosh
Dentist
5 Years • BDS
Kolkata
Asters Healthco Clinic, Kolkata
