Bad breath can be one of the most embarrassing things to have, especially at a party, a business event, or a date. Fortunately, there are a few different things you can do to keep your breath smelling fresh. The most important, of course, is to brush and floss regularly and use mouthwash. However, if you’re away from home and don’t have any oral hygiene items handy, there are a few foods you can snack on that will help freshen your breath.
Fruits And Vegetables
There are a number of raw fruits and vegetables that will help clean your mouth and eliminate or reduce bad breath. Anything that crunches when you bite into it, including carrots, celery, pears, and apples, will help encourage the production of saliva. This will help wash bacteria and food particles out of your teeth, leaving your mouth cleaner. The fiber in these fruits and vegetables also helps clean your teeth because it acts like a toothbrush. Cherries are another good fruit to eat. They can actually neutralize methyl mercaptan, a smelly gas that occurs in many other foods. If you’re having salad, be sure to eat all of the lettuce in it since lettuce also has helps reduce this smell. Finally, while it may not help right away, melons and other fruits high in Vitamin C will help reduce gingivitis, which certainly contributes to bad breath.
What About Drinks?
If you’re having a quick snack of fruit or vegetables, you likely want something to drink with it. The best two options to help you with bad breath are water and green tea. Water, like saliva, helps to wash your mouth out. The antioxidants in green tea, meanwhile, actually help combat the bacteria that causes bad breath. Both are better options than soda and coffee, too. Want more tips for foods that help improve your oral health? Give us a call.