Simple tips to address underlying causes of bad breath

According to Harvard University Medical School, 30% of the population complains of some sort of bad breath resulting from poor oral hygiene habits, periodontal disease, or underlying health issues.

A few tips to get at the root causes of bad breath that you can do right now.

1. Physically remove as much bacteria as possible —  some bacteria in the mouth emit volatile sulfuric compounds that produce odor. Don’t skimp on brushing, flossing, and tongue cleaning. (A tongue cleaner is specially designed to remove the tongue’s whitish-gray coating made up of bacteria, dead cells, fungi, and food debris).
2. Stay well hydrated — bacteria that cause bad breath thrives in a dry environment. (That’s why breath tends to smell worse when you’re dehydrated e.g after a workout or when waking up). Saliva naturally cleans the mouth, and when you aren’t producing enough, odors can build. If you drink enough water, it enables the saliva to do its job, and bad breath producing bacteria less of a chance to grow.
3. Don’t use traditional mouthwashes — even the "all-natural” ones often use harsh ingredients — indiscriminately killing good bacteria along with the bad bacteria. They can throw your oral microbiome and PH out of balance. Plus, they are merely a temporary fix for bad breath since they don't address underlying causes. (Consider detoxing & supporting a healthy oral microbiome with only natural, effective ingredients, like those found in our Oil Pulling Mouthwash).
4. Bad breath as an early warning system for bigger health issues? Assuming you’re addressing basic hygiene and hydration issues and still have bad breath, it could be a sign of underlying disease. If this is the case, it would make sense to contact your dentist or doctor — assuming you are working with a good dental hygienist they should be able to look out for things like this during regular dental cleanings.