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There are several natural ways for you to have fresh breath and a healthy mouth. This will also help you feel self-assured and confident when meeting people, as well as inspired to flash that beautiful smile more often!
Bad breath may be undetectable in one’s own mouth, but closer inspection will reveal that the cause is bacteria, according to Healthline. If you do not brush and floss twice a day to eliminate food particles, you will soon have a buildup of plaque, and this is the origin of bad breath.
Here are seven ways to help eliminate the problem naturally.
Scraping your tongue
Aside from flossing and brushing twice a day, use a tongue scraper, recommends Web MD. Yes, the tongue can be home to food particles too. You can either use a tongue scraper, or brush your tongue after you brush your teeth, then rinse your mouth.
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Make homemade mouthwash
Commercial mouthwashes may get rid of bad breath, but they can cause harm, according to Healthline. As they contain sodium lauryl sulfate, mouthwashes may cause canker sores in some people. Other side effects for some are a burning sensation, dry mouth, and even a higher risk of certain cancers.
Healthline has two ideas for homemade mouthwashes: a baking soda wash and a vinegar wash. Baking soda can kill bacteria in your mouth and reduce bad breath. Simply add baking soda to warm water, swish, and spit out.
As for vinegar, its acidic property repels bacteria. Add apple cider or white vinegar to water, gargle, and spit out.
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Try oil pulling
Swish around one tablespoon of oil for 20 minutes, then spit it out, recommends Green Med info. You can use olive oil, coconut oil, or sesame oil. Aside from reducing halitosis, swishing the oil also could strengthen your jaw muscles, and may help to prevent cavities and gingivitis.
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Drink more water
Have you ever noticed that your breath is not so pretty after a night’s sleep? This is because your mouth dries out at night. Saliva helps to keep your mouth clean, so do not let your mouth get dry, cautions Healthline.
The answer is to drink lots of hydrating water during the day. This will encourage the production of saliva. Make sure you have eight glasses of drinking water during the day.
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Eat yogurt
Yogurt is good for your stomach microbiome as well as your mouth. People who ate sugar-free yogurt had less plaque and gingivitis after six weeks, according to a news release from the International Association for Dental Research.
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Sip green tea
Polyphenols in green tea deodorize and disinfect, according to Green Med info. Green tea reduces the sulfur compounds that cause bad breath and is more effective than chewing gum, or sucking on mints.
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Have some parsley
Parsley contains flavonoids, antioxidants, and essential oils that reduce bad breath, according to Health Style Today. Parsley’s antibacterial properties eliminate organisms that may contribute to bad breath.
Parsley is a common ingredient in mouthwashes as it is an antiseptic. Skip the bottle of mouthwash and go straight to the plants by adding a few parsley leaves to your dishes.
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