How to stop bad breath

Brushing and flossing are definitely the first steps to stop bad breath.

Most people happily brush their teeth, but you really need to brush and floss to remove bacteria responsible for creating odorous sulphur compounds and the food they feed on. My preferred floss is Dentotape from Reach, it is easily available at the supermarket or in our practice. As the name suggests it is a flat tape and it really picks up plaque and food well. If your gums bleed when you floss that means you need to floss more! As your flossing frequency improves it stops being unpleasant and you will hardly notice this step in your teeth brushing routine.

Bacteria hide not only on and around the teeth but also on the tongue under a layer of mucous. Here they are free to create odours.

You might want to consider a tongue scraper to help stop bad breath. They’re extremely effective at removing this protective mucous layer from the back of the tongue. We always stock tongue cleaners, but again they are available at your pharmacy or supermarket if that is more convenient.

The latest products on the market to help stop bad breath are toothpastes and mouthwashes containing chlorine dioxide. The chlorine dioxide neutralises the odorous sulphur compounds, instead of simply covering up the odour. We can assist with ordering these products.

Drinking enough water is an important step in preventing bad breath. Water is good for your dental health generally, as a dry mouth is more prone to acid attack from food and drink and a dry mouth is also an environment for decay to more easily start in teeth. Make sure you drink lots of water during exercise and avoid sports drinks as they are acidic and when you are dehydrated this exacerbates acid attack on the teeth.

At Hope Island Dental Care we can begin with an Exam and Clean and further discussion on how to stop bad breath. Please contact us or book an appointment online now.