Now that we have covered the causes and symptoms of bad breath we can begin discussing remedies to help you get rid of the problem.

It is important to understand that for the most part we will be discussing bad breath remedies that would apply to an average bad breath problem. Serious medical conditions require intervention by your dental physician.

After visiting your dentist, if he cannot find a medical explanation for a persistent case of bad breath, consider trying some of the remedies we present.

As we mentioned earlier, all people have bad breath on occasion. When they do, most people immediately reach for the mouthwash. Not only is this ineffective but this action can also exacerbate the condition. Why is this so?

Mouthwash contains flavoring and dyes but most importantly the primary component is alcohol! They claim to kill bacteria, which is true in most cases. However, the bacteria is quick to return with an exponential affect because the alcoholic content causes dry mouth which is the leading cause of bad breath. It creates a very ineffectual cycle of repetition.

Commercial mouthwash products also contain other harsh chemicals. Studies have shown that excessive amounts of mouthwash irritate the gums, tongue, palate and mucous membranes in the mouth. If the user is a smoker AND consumes alcohol, heavy use of mouthwash can even cause certain cancers. It would be prudent to look at some of the other methods to deal with bad breath and stay away from the mouthwash.

If you would like to freshen your breath try preparing your own breath freshening mouthwash. A rinse consisting of a few drops of peppermint oil in a glass of water will do the trick nicely just don’t count on it to kill bacteria. Also just use it as a rinse and do not swallow.

There are other essential oils that work as well. Try tea tree, myrrh, spearmint, and ginger are also effective.

Rinsing your mouth with salt water is a great home remedy for a sore throat. It is also good for eliminating bad breath. You might also try rinsing with lemon or lime water as well. Both are equally effective and may taste a bit more pleasant than salt water.

Try drinking a small amount of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water at least once a day.

Neither of these commercial products are particularly helpful as they only mask the problem and in fact could cause tooth decay. Try some of our alternative recommendations:

Remember the trick the Greeks used? Anise seed is readily available and chewing on a few of them work just as effectively today as they did several thousand years ago. Fennel, cinnamon and cloves also work well. Try popping a few into your mouth after meals to fight bad breath.

There are many other natural replacements for commercial mouthwash. Try adding a bit of baking soda to your toothpaste. After all, not only is it used in cooking and the laundry, we also use baking soda to absorb odor in the refrigerator. It will work well to help eliminate bad breath.

Did you ever wonder why parsley and mint are often used as a garnish when dining out? Just like the Greeks, remember the Romans. Chewing on parsley helps fight bad breath.

The reason is the high content of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll very quickly changes carbon dioxide into oxygen in the body. This prepares the digestive tract to prevent gases and toxins from backing up and by lubricating the tract and various valves.

Boil a mixture of myrrh resin, sage leaves and lavender flowers in a small amount of water. Gargle three times a day as a bad breath remedy.

Aloe vera will cleanse the colon and prevent toxins that could possibly back up in the digestive tract.

Poor dental hygiene is a major factor for the cause of bad breath. Yes, you’ve heard it before, brush and floss after every meal and make regularly trips to your dentist for cleaning and examination.

But, how many of us actually follow this regimen, not enough, according to the American Dental Association. They report that periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in the United States.

Periodontal disease actually takes place in two different stages. Gingivitis is the first stage and only affects the gums. Gingivitis IS reversible if caught before it moves into the second stage called periodontitis. Periodontal disease is irreversible, causing tooth loss and potential bone damage.

We have discussed the leading cause of bad breath in a previous chapter. Many of the same causes apply to the risk factors for periodontal disease such as tobacco and certain drugs. But there are other factors for periodontal disease which can also manifest as bad breath. Some of these additional risk factors are:

The symptoms of encroaching periodontal disease also closely mimic some of the same symptoms of bad breath, with bad breath actually becoming symptomatic with periodontal disease. Some of these not previously mentioned are:

Periodontal disease is nothing more than plaque. While it may sound harmless, quite the opposite is true. The buildup of this plaque also causes bad breath. Get rid of the plaque and you will eliminate the bad breath and reap the benefits of healthy gums.

Plaque is the carrier for that sulfur producing bacteria that we discussed earlier. It creates a sticky film that is always present in your mouth. When you eat or drink you add to the buildup of plaque.

Plaque is a pesky creature that is also a bit shy. He likes to burrow in and hide just beneath the gum line where he develops a breeding ground for more of his bacterial friends. You can smell them, but it can be difficult to even know that plaque is hiding away and doing its damage.

This is why regular brushing and flossing is so important. You need to ferret out the problem and deal with it. It’s an ongoing process and you’ll NEVER be rid of it as long as you like to eat, drink and oh yes, live! You must brush at least twice a day to remove all traces of bits of food and plaque. Don’t forget to brush the gums as well!

Yes, you should brush after every meal, but if it isn’t possible and you don’t wish to brush after having a meal out at a restaurant, excuse yourself, visit the restroom and at least rinse your mouth well. This practice will go a long way toward healthy gums as well as reducing bad breath resulting from the bacteria remaining in the small bits of food.

You must floss every day taking care to reach every hidden scrap between the teeth.

Brush your tongue daily. Ugh! A nasty tongue has to be one of the worse offenders for bad breath. Did you know that the ancient Romans brushed their tongues daily? Amazing, isn’t it, how some practices come full circle.

Using your soft bristled brush, brush the tongue gently, taking care not to gag yourself. Do try and reach as far back as comfortable to remove as much of the offending buildup as you can. It’s in that region toward the back of the tongue that produces the majority of the bad breath.

Proper way to brush teeth.

You brush should be against the gums at a 45 degree angle. Strokes should be gentle in tooth wide increments. Brush each side and the top. Don’t forget to brush your tongue.

If this topic appears to be another "no brainer" it really is not. Many people do not understand proper care of their toothbrush. Remember, it is an object that enters your mouth daily coming in contact with billions of bacteria not to mention certain instances of contamination by bleeding of the gyms or other conditions.

First of all, never share your toothbrush! There is a huge risk of cross-contamination when this practiced is followed.

Always thoroughly rinse your toothbrush after use and store it brush side up to dry naturally. If a common storage system is used, do not allow the brushes to come in contact with one another.

There are mixed thoughts regarding the storage of toothbrushes in a disinfectant. One school of thought advocates that you can do more harm by storing the toothbrush in the same disinfectant repeatedly, thereby creating another possibility of cross-contamination.

Never store your toothbrush in a closed container that can set up a favorable climate for bacteria to form.

Use a length of floss 16 to 18 inches in length. Wrap the floss around each of your middle fingers. Slip the floss between your teeth. Form a u shape against the side of one tooth. Beginning at the gum line, use a gentle rubbing motion to remove the particles of food. Repeat with each adjacent tooth remembering to take up the slack so that you are using a clean section of floss for each tooth.

Avoid an empty stomach. Yep, that’s right! If you don’t eat, your saliva production is reduced. You need that saliva to wash away the bacteria and avoid dry mouth.

 Add tea to your list of preferred beverages.

It is thought that the chemical polyphenols found in tea help to prevent that sulfur producing bacteria that contributes to bad breath.

Try drinking cranberry juice or eating cranberries. Plaque is less likely to form because the cranberries reduce the stickiness of the bacteria.

Scurvy.

Scurvy? Yes, this may shock you but there are still instances of "scurvy" in the modern world of today. Scurvy is caused by a lack of Vitamin C and can cause the gums to bleed and also manifest as bad breath. Vitamin A is also necessary for the overall health of the gums and teeth. Here is a list of nutrients that can be beneficial for bad breath and the recommended dosage:

Vitamin A: 10,000 I.U. per day

Vitamin B complex - daily

Vitamin B6 - daily

Vitamin C: 1,000 mg. three times a day

Calcium: 2,300 mg. a day

Coenzyme Q10: 30 mg. three times a day

Vitamin E: 400 mg. a day

Folic acid: 800 mcg. a day

Niacin – daily

Dairy products.

The holistic healing community suggests that dairy products may contribute to fermentation of food in the stomach. Their suggestion is to eliminate all dairy products for one week and use that as a measure to determine whether your bad breath improves.

Enzymes.

Another school of thought suggests using a digestive enzyme after eating each meal. Since necessary bacteria in the digestive system tends to thrive in a more alkaline environment creating that environment artificially may help prevent the fermentation. Try taking a small amount (about 1/8^th of a teaspoon) of pure sodium bicarbonate approximately 20 minutes after eating. It may very well improve your digestion as well as help in the prevention of bad breath.

Also known as "thrush," candida is one of those yeast (fungal) infections that can be annoying and difficult to get rid of but it can be done.

Begin with removing all refined sugar products from your diet. That includes yeast based products especially. You don’t want to pour "fertilizer" on a yeast infection.

If you have been on any type of antibiotic treatment they may have upset the creation of good bacteria that helps digestion. In this case, you need to encourage the growth of bacteria to offset bacterial loss while taking the antibiotic.

Try taking a "probiotic." Just the opposite of an antibiotic, the probiotic introduces millions of live bacteria back into your system thereby offsetting the damage done by the anti-biotic.

The most commonly know probiotic is lactobacillus acidophilus. You may have seen L. acidophilus milk in the dairy section of your grocery store. This is milk that has been enriched with the L. acidophilus bacteria. L. acidophilus is also found in yogurt and you can find it in supplemental form at any health food store.

We live in a world where food dominates. We are on sensory overload because everywhere we turn there is another delectable delight to tantalize the taste buds. Sadly, the majority of the foods that we are seduced by on a daily basis do serious damage to our teeth. In our discussion that also applies to bad breath.

It is important to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Unfortunately all day snacks and bingeing have replaced the concept of "three square meals a day."

When indiscriminate snacking takes place oral hygiene goes out the window. If doubt that, begin a diary and document every single instance throughout the day when you place food or beverages in your mouth. Weight loss programs teach their users to do this and it can be an eye-opening experience. Some of our habits are so ingrained that we don’t even realize what we are doing.

Someone brings a home made coffee cake to the office and it’s very easy to unconsciously grab "just a little sliver" back to your desk along with your. . .what?. . third or fourth cup of java of course.

You may be sitting in the grandstands at a little league ballgame when your partner waves the bag of popcorn under your nose. Well, it’s just a few kernels of popcorn, right?

Now, do you immediately run to the ladies room at the office and brush your teeth? Do you leap off the bleachers and sprint to the "facilities" and floss? Of course not, that would be ridiculous, right? If we all did that, there wouldn’t be a problem with dental disease or bad breath.

All the snacking that we do throughout the day not only contributes to bad breath but snack food is usually very high in carbohydrates and produces excessive amounts of sugar that cause tooth decay and promote bad breath. Harmful acids contained in soda pop attack the enamel on the teeth, yet we sip on sodas all day long.

And, if you thought that just sodas are the culprit, think again. A recent study claims that all those popular sports drinks we buy may not be such a good idea after all. They may re-hydrate the body, but they can cause irreversible damage to the dental enamel.

The study reports that fitness water, sports drinks, energy drinks and other non-cola beverages increase the risk of damage by anywhere from 3 to 11 times!

It should be mentioned that the findings are indicative of long term use. However, it appears that these drinks may not necessarily beneficial as a substitute for plain old-fashioned fresh water!

You’ve heard the term, "you are what you eat" and it certainly applies when it comes to bad breath. Certain foods can give you bad breath.

Foods like garlic, onions, peppers and more all have a role in creating bad breath. When the food you eat is released into the bloodstream, the lungs will expel the odor.

While garlic and onions seem to top the list of bad breath offenders, there are other foods that are just as likely to produce bad breath. A few of these are:

Meats that are spicy like pepperoni, salami and pastrami

Cheese, especially soft cheeses

Fish

Dairy foods

Seafood

Eggs

Practically every food that is high in protein is also a harbinger of bad breath. In fact practically one third of our diet is comprised of high protein foods.

This can be especially distressing if you are on a "high protein" diet. The obvious result is that when on a diet such as this bad breath will become significantly more annoying.

Short of totally eliminating protein from our diet (not recommended) what else can we do? At the risk of sounding redundant let’s review some of our earlier discussion.

Drink plenty of water. Dehydration certainly won’t help to improve the situation.

As difficult as it may be, clean your teeth and tongue thoroughly each time you eat anything that is high in protein.

Try and adjust your diet to contain less high protein foods and more high fiber foods. Foods high in fiber naturally produce some of those important enzymes we previously discussed.

Fiber will help fight constipation. Homeopathic healers report that regular bowel movements help to rid the body of toxins that contribute to bad breath.

Not only will changing to a higher fiber diet help your bad breath, it will also improve the overall health of your digestive system.

Instead of snacking on junk food, try chewing on fresh fruits and vegetables, especially the crunchy foods. Apples, pears, celery and carrots are good suggestions. They will aid in enzyme production and the natural chewing of the crunchy foods will stimulate the gums.

Consider adding that yogurt we mentioned as a permanent part of your daily food intake. Again, it will promote the production of the live bacteria you need.

Stimulate the flow of saliva to keep the mouth moist. Remember to avoid ineffectual commercial mouthwashes. Chewing on a clove or adding a drop of cinnamon or peppermint oil on your tongue will be much more productive.

If you are having post-nasal drip, there are herbal formulas and nasal sprays found in you local health food store that may help.

 In our quest for learning how to get rid of bad breath, it does appear as though we have discussed a great deal about overall health care and we have. But isn’t that the way it should be?

Mother Nature has a way of teaching us just how delicate the balance can be between living a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle. Although it is not a laughing matter, one can’t help but recall the humorous comment made by someone that, "be true to your teeth or they will be false to you." It certainly does apply.

Before we part company, if there were one single thing you can do to help prevent bad breath, it is to simply rinse out your mouth with fresh water after eating whether it is after snacking or between meals.

In most cases that is easy to do and can go a long way toward helping the bad breath problem as well as your overall dental health. Rinsing your mouth won’t eliminate all the bacteria producing particles, but it will get rid of some. Try it and make it a habit.