How to Get Rid of Bad Breath: Tips for Relieving Transient Bad Breath

There are two types of bad breath, transient and chronic. Transient bad breath, as the name implies, is a temporary condition. Transient bad breath may be caused by a variety of factors including, but not limited to dietary habits, inadequate oral hygiene, dehydration and certain prescription medications. Chronic bad breath also known as chronic halitosis is a long lasting and recurrent condition frequently caused by a proliferation of a specific types of bacteria residing in the mouth, gum disease, or an underlying medical condition. Unfortunately, chronic bad breath may be difficult to treat and will most likely require that you visit a dental professional who is knowledgeable about halitosis to fully cure chronic bad breath. On the other hand, most causes of transient bad breath are highly treatable. Below are a few tips for getting rid of transient bad breath.

Dietary Habits

Simply avoiding pungent smelling foods such as onions and garlic is an easy way to avoid bad breath. If you’re suffering from frequent bad breath your may also want to avoid alcohol based mouth rinses, excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages, and spicy foods because these have been shown to cause transient bad breath as well. If you do not wish to modify your diet, you can always elect to chew medicated sugarless gum or fresh parsley in an attempt to mask any offensive odors. A really effective product we recommend for food induced odors is a product called Breath Gemz.

Oral Hygiene

Regular brushing and flossing is not only important for maintaining proper oral health, but will play a tremendous role in your efforts to combat bad breath. A high quality sonic toothbrush not only provide excellent cleaning, but will reduce hard to reach plaque and bacteria which frequently cause bad breath. Standard dental floss or better yet a hydro floss oral irrigator are excellent methods for improving overall oral health and alleviating bad breath too.

Dehydration

Dehydration is another common and often overlooked cause of bad breath that can easily be treated. When the body becomes dehydrated there is a decrease in saliva production which can cause an increase in the number of odorous bacteria residing in the mouth. Simply drinking a glass of water after each meal is a great way to promote adequate hydration and to prevent bad breath caused by dry mouth. If you’re suffering from frequent dry mouth due to factors other than dehydration such as an adverse reaction to a prescription medication you can use a saliva stimulating product such as SalivaSure, OraMoist, or Salese to promote proper saliva production. We do recommend adults to consume 8 glasses or 2 quarts of water per day.

Bad breath should be taken seriously as it can be an indicator of a more serious underlying medical condition. Various lung conditions, kidney problems and certain rare gastric issues can all cause bad breath. If you’re experiencing frequent bad breath and you are unsure as to what the underlying cause may be, we highly suggest you seek professional medical or dental treatment.

About the Author: Dr. Anthony Dailley has been practicing dentistry since 1981 and specializes in bad breath treatment. He has a degree in Cell & Molecular Biology from San Francisco State University and a dental degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. Dr Dailley founded the Center for Breath Treatment in the bay area and currently conducts research on curing halitosis at the California Pacific Lab facility in Novato California. I'm reading: How to Get Rid of Bad Breath: Tips for Relieving Transient Bad BreathTweet this!