Some foods – onions or garlic, for example – just like tobacco and thealcoholare known to occasionally give bad breath. But an almost permanent halitosis, or returning quickly after the tooth brushing, hide something else. In the majority of cases, the problem is located at the oral level: imperfect dental hygiene, gum disease, cariesfood debris lodged under an old bridge… So, we check by consulting our dentist.
Sometimes it can also come from a ENT problem (chronic sinusitis), digestive (reflux), a diabetesor a dry mouth due to taking medication (some 300 have this effect!).
Chewing herbs neutralize bad breath
Several plants are known to neutralize malodorous compounds released by bacteria in the mouth and responsible for bad breath. Do the test at your choice, and according to your preferences (no obligation to swallow, you can spit it out): chew fresh parsley, or mint leaves, or even basil. Other very refreshing options too: if you’re not afraid of the strong taste, chew on a clove until it becomes soft and crunch it; or chew coriander seeds, suck on star anise. Indian restaurants very often offer a mixture of these seeds at the end of the meal.
Foods that give good breath
Chew a coffee bean after the meal. Rinse your mouth with lemon juice diluted in a little water.
Have a banana or a kiwi for dessert.
Clean the tongue well
Bacteria can accumulate on your tongue, forming a whitish deposit on it. This stagnant “coating” can be responsible for bad breath. The parade: eliminate it with a tongue scraper (in pharmacies), starting from the back of the mouth.
Mouthwashes sanitize
Both preventive and treatment, do them after meals (and brushing your teeth). And not in 2 seconds! To be effective on bad breath, keep it in your mouth for 30 seconds, while the active ingredients work.
In bicarbonate version, which will limit the proliferation of bacteria, source of malodorous compounds.
• Dilute 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 glass of cold water.
• Add 1 drop of peppermint essential oil (you can also add 1 drop of tea tree oil), and mix.
In essential oil version
• Mix 2 drops of essential oils of tea tree, peppermint and clove in 100 ml of water.
Or rediscover the mythical Eau de Botot (in pharmacies)
250 years old, it hasn’t aged a bit! For the record, it was created for King Louis XV. The whole court then snapped up this French innovation dedicated to oral hygiene, and whose effectiveness is recognized by the Royal Society of Medicine. One pleases the sovereign better with fresh breath! Almost unchanged since its creation, it is still composed of alcohol and natural essence of mint, cinnamon and clove. Pour a few drops into a glass of water and rinse your mouth. The ready-made Botot mouthwash, based on the same active ingredients, has recently appeared.
For further
Preventing and treating halitosis (bad breath)
7 natural remedies for bad breath
