People around the world suffer from halitosis, the scientific term for unpleasant odors exhaled while breathing. Severe bad breath has many causes, but it almost always results in awkward social situations. Diagnosing it can be difficult, since we get used to our own smells.

Some people assume they suffer from this problem, since they develop bad tastes in their mouths. However, a bad taste does not always indicate a problem. Instead, consider asking someone you trust if your breath has an unpleasant odor. Then, you can take steps to end the trouble. If you suffer from this embarrassing problem, and would like to cure bad breath, here are five basic tips that might help you.

Ways to Diagnose and Eliminate Bad Breath
1. Clean the surface of your tongue gently, twice a day, with a tongue scraper , brush, or cleaner.
This will remove the biofilm of bacteria, mucus, and debris that can develop on the tongue. However, you should avoid cleaning your tongue with a toothbrush, since it could cause a gag reflex. Also, avoid scraping your tongue harshly, as it can cause damage. If this does not fix the problem, try doing it while adding a small amount of antibacterial rinse to the tongue.

2. Eat your breakfast
If you suffer from severe bad breath early in the morning, eating a health breakfast can help, especially if you eat rough-textured food that can help clean the very back of your tongue.

3. Another way to cure bad breath is by chewing gum
One of the more common causes of halitosis is a dry mouth, which creates buildup of bacteria. Sugarless gum helps you produce more saliva, reducing the symptoms of bad breath. If you cannot manage to brush your teeth and tongue after meals, chewing gum can help significantly. For those who cannot or do not like to chew gum, other items can work, like fresh parsley, fennel seeds, or cinnamon sticks.

4. Another way to reduce odor is to gargle before bedtime with a mouthwash that is effective against bad breath
However, the active ingredients of some mouthwashes are deactivated by the detergents in most toothpastes. This means that you should avoid treatment of odor with mouthwash immediately after brushing. Mouthwashes which contain alcohol may also not be effective against bad breath, since their antibacterial properties are overshadowed by the drying effect of the alcohol. Hydrogen peroxide rinse can be used in place of mouthwashes as a gargle. It should be diluted to a concentration of 1.5% before use.

5. Proper oral hygiene is important if you want to avoid halitosis
This includes brushing at least once daily, flossing every day, and visiting the dentist on a regular basis. Flossing is particularly important to remove trapped food from between the teeth and at the gum line. If you wear dentures, you should make sure that you clean them properly, and soak them in an antibacterial solution over night, unless your dentist tells you otherwise. You should also make sure that there is enough water in your body, so drink several glasses of water every day to prevent bad breath.