Home Remedies for Halitosis

Halitosis, also known as bad breath, is the third most common reason individuals seek dental care, after tooth decay and periodontal disease, according to Wikipedia. Halitosis can affect your personal, professional, and social life and relationships. Bad breath has many causes, the most common being bacteria in the mouth. Other causes of bad breath include systemic diseases, such as chronic liver failure, carcinoma, diabetes, metabolic dysfunction, lower respiratory tract infections, kidney failure, and kidney infections. If you suffer from bad breath, you can utilize several home remedies to combat it.

Parsley: Parsley is said to be nature's deodorizer. Try chewing some parsley leaves in order to combat bad breath.

Cardamom Seeds: Cardamom seeds will also help relieve bad breath. Chew cardamom seeds for another effective home remedy for halitosis.

Have Good Oral Hygiene: Good oral hygiene will help you get rid of bad breath. Most bad breath is caused by bacteria in the mouth, which can be effectively removed by brushing and flossing regularly. Be sure to brush your teeth well two to three times each day and floss once a day as well.

Brush With Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used to deodorize refrigerators. It can also be used as a home remedy for halitosis. Brush your teeth with baking soda or toothpaste containing baking soda in order to combat bad breath.

Drink Tea: Research indicates that both green and black tea contains polyphenols, which may discontinue the growth of bacteria that causes bad breath. Polyphenols can also prevent bacteria already existing in the mouth from making malodorous compounds, according to About.com.

Chew on Certain Herbs: Certain herbs act as good home remedies for bad breath as well. Try chewing on some rosemary, spearmint, or tarragon for up to one full minute to relieve halitosis.

Avoid Using Mouthwash Containing Alcohol: Alcohol dries out the mouth and causes gum damage, which can lead to more odor-causing bacteria. Rather, try using a mouthwash that contains zinc, cetylpyridium chloride, chloride dioxide, or sodium chloride. These agents act as antibacterial agents, killing bacteria in the mouth and reducing bad breath.

Avoiding Certain Foods: If you suffer from bad breath, you should avoid certain foods as they can make your bad breath worse. These foods include: coffee, cola drinks, anchovies, spicy salmon, tuna, red meat, onions, milk, blue cheese, garlic, and curry.

Increase Saliva Flow: Saliva cleanses and dilutes bacteria within the mouth, so increasing the flow of saliva is another good home remedy for bad breath. Chew on sugar-free gum or suck on lozenges or breath mints often in order to increase the saliva in your mouth.

Eat Plain Yogurt: Eating plain yogurt for the duration of six weeks is another home remedy for halitosis. Plain yogurt reduces bad breath by decreasing the levels of odorous compounds produced by bacteria in the mouth by 80%, according to Morpheme Remedies.

Bad breath can affect your personal, social, and professional relationships and affect the way you feel about yourself. However, utilizing these home remedies should help you combat halitosis effectively.

Sources:

Wikipedia: Halitosis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halitosis

Ayurvedic Cure: Home Remedies for Bad Breath:

http://www.ayurvediccure.com/homeremedies_badbreath.htm

How Stuff Works: 18 Home Remedies for Bad Breath:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/home-remedies-for-bad-breath.htm

About.com: Home Remedies for Bad Breath:

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/healthconditionsdisease/a/badbreath.htm