Bad breath, known as halitosis, is usually caused by bad oral hygiene habits.  By taking care to floss and brush the right way, most bad breath problems can be controlled. Here are some tips on how to fight bad breath.

Why Brushing and Flossing May Not Help
Sometimes there are conditions in which brushing and flossing may not work. Most often, this is the result of poor or infrequent brushing and flossing technique.

How To Floss Your Teeth
Flossing is used to keep your teeth clean in parts of your mouth where a toothbrush may not be able to reach.  Start by flossing first, then follow with brushing, which will help get rid of the material that can collect between teeth.  If you don't floss between teeth, that sticky material will turn hard and become plaque, a substance that causes tooth decay and can even lead to gum disease.

Dental floss is available in an incredible variety of types.  There is waxed and unwaxed floss, either of which come in flavors from mint to cinnamon, or no flavor at all.  Floss strength can vary from extremely thin to very strong threads, or even a kind of tape.  There are now dental floss holders available which make flossing a bit easier.  Waxed floss is usually a bit easier to use, and a flavored waxed floss also leaves a light, pleasant taste.  Give the floss from your dentist a try after your next visit, as these are usually high quality brands that are recommended to use.

How To Brush Your Teeth
The next step is to make sure you are brushing your teeth properly. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to brush too fast.  Similarly, if you brush fast, you are not doing a thorough job, leaving surfaces and spaces between teeth still covered with germs and plaque.

To ensure proper brushing, hold the toothbrush at about a 45-degree angle, bringing the brush up from the bottom (moving from the bottom gums up to the top of the bottom teeth) then down from the top (from the top of the upper gums to the tips of the upper teeth).  This motion will clean out any plaque that was broken loose from flossing, and brush it away from the gums to keep it from doing damage. When finished with brushing outside the tooth surfaces, repeat the same technique on the inner surfaces.  The tops of the teeth can be brushed with a back and forth motion.

Scraping Your Tongue
Cleaning the tongue is often skipped by many people, but it's also possible that they aren't aware of the value of doing so. Brushing or scraping the tongue removes additional plaque, germs and bacteria, along with small food particles that can remain on the tongue's surface,  By brushing the tongue, most of this extra material is removed.  These can be a primary source of bad breath, tartar build up and resulting tooth decay.  Tongue scraping is actually thought of as a very effective way to control halitosis.

to clean your tongue, be sure to reach as far to the back as you can.  At first, this can trigger the gag reflex, which will lessen after some practice.  Use a special brush or scraper designed for tongue cleaning, which are available at most pharmacies, or you can just use your toothbrush.  Scrape or brush from back to front.  Be sure to use some pressure on the brush or scraper, but overdoing it can cause irritation.

While cleaning your tongue with a toothbrush can be satisfactory, many people prefer to scrape their tongue with a tongue scraper as they are less likely to gag when using a tongue scraper rather than a brush. You can get tongue scrapers at your supermarket or pharmacy.

Keep in mind that other things affect whether you have bad breath too.  For example, your diet and the things you eat will have an impact, especially if you are eating a low-carb diet.  If you are suffering from a medical condition, that can also cause bad breath.  Medications you take to treat a condition may also be causing bad breath. 

While you may be tempted to use mouthwashes or other types of quick fixes for bad breath, remember that many are not effective.  The only real "cure" for bad breath is to eat a balanced diet, see your dentist, and follow regular daily oral hygiene habits. 

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