At our Longmont family dentist office we know that patients want to have a beautiful smile, and fresh breath to accompany their sparkling teeth! If your breath is malodorous, you’ll probably find that you avoid laughing and joining conversations. It’s tough to feel confident when you’re concerned about oral odors.

The good news is that there are steps you can take to keep your breath smelling fresh, and to keep your mouth healthy as well. Too many patients focus on masking bad breath with breath mints, gums, or oral sprays. The key to enjoying fresh breath, however, is to prevent plaque and tartar build-up—this is what causes odorous breath in the first place.

A good oral hygiene routine will help you avoid bad breath. It’s critical that you keep up a regular oral hygiene routine to rid your mouth of plaque and tartar. Along with brushing your teeth at least twice a day, you should floss regularly to clear plaque from between your teeth.

Both plaque and tartar trap bacteria against your dental enamel. As the bacteria feeds off of sugar and starches in your mouth they emit strong odors. The first step to conquering bad breath is to eliminate plaque and tartar.

Along with brushing and flossing you can include and antimicrobial rinse in your oral hygiene routine. These rinses kill bacteria, and they are especially effective at reaching places patients may miss brushing and flossing. It’s important to note, however, that antimicrobial rinses should be used in conjunction with brushing and flossing and not in place of them.

Because bacteria feeds on sugars and carbohydrates, you may find that your breath smells worse after you consume foods high in starches and sugars. An additional tip for beating bad breath is to avoid these harmful substances, and to at least rinse your mouth quickly after consuming them.

If you’re struggling to keep your breath smelling fresh, you can always talk to our Longmont general dentist for more dental hygiene tips. Give us a call at (303) 776-4229.