Bad breath is synonymous to a nightmare for any woman. Some of the many reasons that could cause this embarrassment range from poor oral hygiene to allergies, improper diet, health problems, dry mouth, medications, dentures, mouth infections, and tobacco. When brushing teeth regularly doesn’t help, looking for home remedies for bad breath is a sane move. However, many natural remedies for bad breath fail to produce the desired results and the blame for this goes to the lack of information available to women.
After arduous research and testing, the following list of home remedies for mouth smell is made specifically to target every woman’s biggest concern. The scientific reasoning, mentioned with every remedy, strongly backs up the working of these remedies, so that there is no room for doubt.
Get Rid Of Bad Breath With These 7 Home Remedies
1. Water
Water targets two causes of bad breath and hits it right in the eye – dry throat and digestion. If you notice, your mouth starts becoming dry during exercise or physical work. This is because the physical strain is utilising the water present inside your body. Because of this, your body isn’t hydrated enough to produce saliva which moisturises your mouth from the inside. A dry mouth gives room for bacteria to thrive. It is the saliva that washes it out and keeps your mouth clean due to its antibacterial properties. This is why drinking eight glasses of water every day is one of the best home remedies for bad breath.
2. Herbal Mouthwash
A mouthwash effectively rinses out dental plaques which are the main causes of bad breath. After you eat something, the remainder of the food that sticks around and inside your teeth is attacked by bacteria. These bacteria degenerate the food particles and release sulphur that causes mouth odour. If you don’t rinse your mouth with the right mouthwash, the bacteria and plaque will stay inside and slowly lead to tooth decay.
According to a 2014 study, herbal mouthwashes are excellent killers of bacteria and dental plaque. You can easily prepare it with the use of common ingredients in your kitchen.
- Take equal amounts of clove and basil and boil them in 3 cups of water.
- You can change the amount of water depending upon your quantity requirements.
- Once the mixture is ready, filter out the boiled water and add tea tree oil to it.
- Mix it properly and use it to rinse your mouth every day.
- The antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of clove, tea tree oil, and basil effectively fight against the odour-causing agents.
In 2016, a study suggested that the effects of tea tree oil were similar on the bacteria as chlorhexidine (an antimicrobial found in mouthwashes). It effectively decreases the growth of bacterial strain inside the mouth while producing negligible side effects. To rinse your mouth with this herbal mouth wash, swish it inside your mouth for 30 seconds and spit it out immediately. Do not swallow it inside because tea tree oil is toxic for ingestion.
3. Mouth Fresheners
The easy substitutes for the expensive mouth fresheners in the market are available at the convenience of your kitchen-fennel seeds. The essential oils inside the seeds have antimicrobial properties which get rid of bad breath and substitute it with freshness. You can either consume it directly or roast it for better taste. Many people coat it with sugar to enjoy a fresh and sweet taste. The choice is yours.
Another home remedy for mouth odour is peeling the rind of a lemon or orange. These sources of vitamin C act as mouth fresheners by increasing the production of saliva in your mouth and killing the bacteria that attempt to grow in your mouth. Chew them directly or drink them by making lemon or orange juice. The benefit of flavour makes it one of the best natural remedies for bad breath in this list.
4. Baking Soda Mouthwash
Also known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda is a magic killer of bacteria that brood inside your mouth. According to multiple kinds of research, toothpaste with baking soda can effectively improve the quality of your teeth. Instead of the alcohol-based mouthwashes, using baking soda is better for your body as it comes with minimal side effects.
- To create this home remedy for mouth odour, slightly warm 1 cup of water and allow it to sit for 10 seconds.
- In this, add 2 teaspoons of baking soda and mix it properly.
- Although it is optional, adding a few drops of peppermint essential oil will add an extra antimicrobial agent to fight the bacteria and microbes in your mouth.
- Once the mixture is ready, swish it in your mouth for 30 seconds and rinse it off.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
There are two ways to use apple cider vinegar against bad breath. One is to consume it directly with water and the other by making a mouth rinse. An imbalance in the pH level inside the mouth causes bad breath. Apple cider vinegar is undoubtedly one of the best pH balancing agents available in your kitchen. If you consume it directly with water, it will go into your stomach to aid the process of digestion. Agents like apple cider and vinegar together make the natural remedies for bad breath from stomach because they tackle the problem from its base.
- For consumption, take 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (the raw kind would be the best) and mix it with 1 glass of water.
- Drink this solution about 20 minutes before each meal to get rid of the bad odour.
6. Clove Tea
The aromatic essential oil in cloves is so strong that they can eradicate the smell of garlic and onions from your breath. Many people prepare clove tea for rinsing their mouth, while some use it as a palate-cleansing tea. The antibacterial properties of raw spice are enough to deal with bad breath. You can also chew it directly if you don’t like the taste of its tea.
Clove Tea Recipe:
- Boil 1 cup of water as the first step of preparing the clove tea.
- After you see the bubbles emerge, add 6-10 cloves inside the boiling water and allow it to mix.
- You can also add fennel seeds and cinnamon for improving the taste.
- Once the tea appears ready, filter it out and consume it hot.
Clove Mouth Rinse Recipe:
- To prepare the clove mouth rinse, add a few pieces of clove in warm water and mix it properly.
- When the water is a bit warm, swish it inside your mouth for 30 seconds and rinse it off.
7. Yoghurt
One of the best natural remedies for bad breath from stomach, yoghurt has probiotics and healthy bacteria like lactobacillus. They fight with the odour-causing agents and reduce the bad breath in your mouth with just one serving per day.
When To Consult A Professional?
In most of the cases, maintaining the right diet and hygiene is enough to cure the problem because its origin lies in the mouth. If none of the home remedies for bad breath improve your previous condition by a noticeable margin, it is only right to consult a doctor. Most of the time, bad breath comes as a symptom of major problems like kidney failure, diabetic ketoacidosis, digestive issues, sinus infection, liver infection, gum diseases, or lung problems.
Along with mouth odour, if you notice symptoms like fever, fatigue, continuous dry mouth, white spots on your tonsils, pain in the teeth, sores in the mouth, or certain difficulty in chewing or swallowing, you must visit the doctor immediately. After learning better about your body and the medications you have been taking, the doctor will recommend the right kind of treatment to eradicate the problem of mouth smell and its underlying disease.
Key Takeaways:
- Hydration is important to reduce bad breath. Thus, every person should consume eight glasses of water every day.
- Herbs like basil, clove, and tea tree oil create an antibacterial mouth rinse that effectively deals with the bacteria in the mouth.
- Fennel seeds, orange and lemon rinds, and cloves are the best natural mouth fresheners.
- On mixing apple cider vinegar with one glass of water and consuming it before meals, you can get rid of bad breath for the day.
- Eat yoghurt every day to kill the bacteria that cause foul mouth odour.
- In case you notice additional symptoms along with a bad breath like fever, fatigue, white spots on your tonsil, sores in the mouth, pain in teeth or difficulty in breathing, consult a doctor immediately
