Dating is hard enough if you’re bringing your A game. But it’s even more difficult if you’re in the dating scene with bad breath.
Unfortunately, you can’t smell your own breath, so you won’t know it’s funky unless someone you’re dating tells you. The best way to ensure it’s fresh is by taking both preventative and curative steps to fight bad breath. Start with the following tips.
- Consume probiotics. Eating yogurt or drinking kefir regularly may help reduce the levels of bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath.
- Brush and floss regularly. One of the simplest ways to maintain good breath (and dental health) is by brushing and flossing regularly. Just brushing isn’t enough to remove all the plaque between your teeth that causes bad breath. Brushing and using a water flosser is another option.
- Use a natural rinse. Mouthwash can help kill the germs that cause halitosis but herbal rinses have been shown to reduce more bacteria than commercial mouthwash. Create a mouthwash with tea tree oil, cloves and basil, as they all contain anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.
- Drink green tea. Green tea contains an antioxidant called EGCG. Studies have shown that EGCG causes cells in your gums to release an antimicrobial chemical that targets a bacterium that contributes to bad breath and gum disease.
- Chew gum. Sugarless gum that’s sweetened with xylitol can help prevent tooth decay and treat bad breath by reducing the amount of S. mutans bacteria in saliva.
- Drink plenty of water. One common cause of bad breath is dry mouth. Without enough saliva, the mouth has no way to rinse food debris, leading to a buildup of oral bacteria. Diet, dehydration and certain medications can all cause dry mouth, but simply drinking water throughout the day can help rinse away the food debris and limit halitosis.
Don’t rely on the person you’re dating to tell you that you’ve got bad breath. Take matters into your own hands with these approaches.
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