Anyone can have mouth odor, in fact, everyone experiences bad breath at one time or the other especially when you don’t brush your teeth. The most important thing is how frequently it occurs and what you do to remedy it.
Mouth odor is also called Halitosis. It is estimated to regularly affect 1 in 4 people globally.
Mouth odor can cause significant psychological distress such as anxiety, embarrassment, social discomfort among others
What if I tell you that mouth odor is relatively easy to treat? – Yeah, simple home remedies and lifestyle changes will go a long way in taking care of it.
What causes mouth odor?
Dry mouth
Tobacco
Irregular brushing of teeth and tongue
Certain medications which reduces saliva thereby causing dry mouth
Drugs which produce odor as they breakdown. Eg. Nitrates
Some foods such as garlic and onions can cause bad breadth
Diseases such as cancer, liver failure, and other metabolic diseases can cause mouth odor. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can also cause bad breath due to the regular reflux of stomach acids.
Also diseases such as kidney disease, yeast infections, and diabetes can lead to dry mouth, and in turn bad breadth.
Home remedies
• Drink plenty of water to keep your mouth hydrated
• Be sure to floss and brush your teeth at least twice a day
• Brush your tongue daily as well. A tongue scraper may be helpful
• Avoid onions, garlic, onions, and spicy foods
• Eat more of fibrous fruits and vegetables like apple
• Cut down on coffee and alcohol consumption
• Quit smoking
If the odor persists despite doing the above, it is highly recommended that you see a doctor for further diagnosis.