In short: To get rid of bad breath for good, treat its source rather than masking it: clean your teeth and tongue thoroughly twice a day, floss daily, stay hydrated, and have any gum disease treated. Mouthwash only hides the smell temporarily. If it persists despite good hygiene, see a dentist to find the cause.
Bad breath can almost always be beaten — but only by tackling the cause, not by covering it with mints and mouthwash. Here’s a practical, lasting plan:
- Clean your tongue every day. The back of the tongue harbours most of the odour-causing bacteria. A tongue scraper (or your brush) used gently once a day makes a big difference — this step alone helps many people.
- Brush twice a day and floss once a day. Removing trapped food and plaque from between teeth and along the gumline removes what the bacteria feed on.
- Treat gum disease. Bleeding or inflamed gums are a common hidden source. A professional cleaning and gum treatment clears the bacteria living in gum pockets.
- Stay hydrated and keep saliva flowing. Drink water through the day; chew sugar-free gum if your mouth gets dry. Saliva is your natural mouth-cleanser.
- Cut tobacco and gutka, and limit strong foods like onion, garlic and excess coffee.
- Keep dentures clean if you wear them, removing and cleaning them daily.
Use mouthwash if you like the freshness, but choose an antibacterial (not just cosmetic) one and treat it as a bonus, not the solution — it only masks odour for an hour or two.
If you’ve tried all this and bad breath lingers, there may be an underlying cause worth investigating. Book a bad breath assessment and we’ll get to the root of it.