Everything you can do to kill bad breath

Nothing gets your confidence down like persistant bad breath. Who can focus properly on conversations when you're worrying about the other person copping a whiff of your offensive mouth odour!?
If you've been told by a well-intentioned loved one that your breath isn't fresh, or you've seen people wince when you're speaking too close to them, you might need to change up some parts of your oral-care routine.
We've put together a list of eight of the most effective ways to nip stanky breath in the bud, once and for all.
RELATED: 8 of the best teeth-whitening toothpastes and treatments
RELATED: How to stay hydrated from top-to-toe this summer
Invest in a quality toothbrush
Manual brushing can do the job, but if your breath is consistently off, a powerful electric toothbrush could help. It's possible when you're using your regular brush that you're either not brushing for long enough, or missing spots. New age brushes like the Oral-B GENIUS 9000 Rose Gold can remove up to 100 per cent more plaque than regular toothbrushes, and plaque is a leading cause of bad breath.
bh loves: Colgate ProClinical® C250 Black Toothbrush, FOREO ISSA Hybrid, Oral-B GENIUS 9000 Rose Gold
Don't just stop at your teeth
Many of us believe that once you're finished brushing your teeth, your mouth is clean. We're here to tell you that's not the case. Both cleaning your tongue with a tongue scraper and flossing your teeth are an essential component of your daily dental hygiene routine. If you've been noticing your breath has been off, it's very possible you're just not cleaning your mouth as thoroughly as you should be.
bh loves: Caredent Floss In A Box, Oral-B Satin Floss, Colgate Total® Waxed Dental Floss, Black Chicken Remedies Copper Tongue Cleaner (adorebeauty.com.au, $12)
Avoid stinky foods
Certain foods are notorious for causing bad breath. Onion, garlic and some spices can leave your breath stinking for hours after you've finished your meal. You don't have to stop eating those foods (we'd never try and get between you and your French onion dip) but if you know you're going to be eating them, maybe take some mouthwash or a toothbrush with you to give yourself a post-meal refresh.
Stop smoking
Smoking wreaks havoc on the whole body, but it's espescially tough on the mouth. It can increase instances of gum disease and oral thrush, both of which are hefty contributers to bad breath. With New Years just around the corner, quit smoking once and for all and you'll see a stark improvement in the quality of your breath.
bh loves: Nicorette 16hr Invisipatch Step 1 (priceline.com.au, $49.95), Nicabate Extra Fresh Mint Gum Quit Smoking ($12.99).
Keep your mouth moist
A healthy amount of saliva helps flush away dead cells and food particles, so when your mouth is dry those germs hang around - resulting in bad breath. To ease the symptoms, make sure you're drinking a healthy amount of water. Caffeine can also make the issue worse, so you may want to look into swapping your coffee cup for a drink bottle.
Similarly, mouthwashes that contain alcohol can exacerbate the issue, so make sure you're going for an alcohol-free version for fresh breath. If you're waking up in the morning with espescially bad breath, having a humidifer going while you're sleeping can too, work wonders for your mouth.
bh loves: Oil Garden Smart Vaporiser & Humidifier, Colgate Plax Fresh Tea Mouthwash.
Take a probiotic
Bad gut health equals bad breath. Anything you eat and can't pass stays in the digestive tract and begins to ferment, resulting in bad breath. To keep your digestive system moving, invest in a probiotic that has been formulated to support gastrointestinal health.
bh loves: Abeeco Ultra Collagen, Nature's Way Super Greens Plus Powder, Swisse Ultibiotic Daily Digestive Probiotic
Keep a breath freshener in your purse
This one isn't a long-term solution, but while you're waiting on your new routine to work it's magic on your breath, carrying a breath freshner spray in your purse can help alleviate the bad smell temporarily.
bh loves: Aveda Peppymint Breath Freshener, Abeeco Propolis & Manuka Honey Throat Spray, Ultrafresh Coolmint Breah Spray (priceline.com.au, $4.49).
Book in to see your dentist
Bad breath can be a symptom of something more serious at play, so if symptoms persist book in to have a proper check up and clean to see if there's something else that's causing the problem.
Do you have any tricks to get rid of bad breath?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
Review them now to earn points that you can swap for free beauty products in RewardsRoom.
64 Member Comments
Interesting facts
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I think flossing helps a lot with bad breath.
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In my mid teens my breath started to smell and I wasn't drinking as much water as I should of been drinking. So I was lucky, my bad breath had an easy solution.
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After reading this, I went and saw the dentist. My first dental appointment in 2 years.
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Quitting smoking, your sense of smell returns. You suddenly start to notice other people smell. Something you didn't notice before. I carry a toothbrush and travel toothpaste (free from the Dentist). Often I brush my teeth after lunch. I do get some strange looks in the bathroom at work. It's a good habit I started when I had braces, as food would get stuck everywhere after meals. A lot of people don't floss. That's really important. Invest in a good quality electric toothbrush (you can often get these cheaper online with sales) good quality toothpaste & floss or an electric water flosser. Get a clean at the dentist as often as you can. Waiting longer usually leads to more plaque and more pain. So if you haven't been to the Dentist for years expect that it will hurt. Ask for pain relief the Dentist has it. Look after your teeth, replacing them is expensive.
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So glad that I don't smoke, I wish the dentist gives me toothbrush and travel toothpaste.
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I keep mints around all the time but I was on the lookout for breath fresheners/sprays.
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Supermarkets have fresh breath spray in the dental area.
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A trip to the dentist to fix a tooth helped with my breath. I was also given a moisture gel for my mouth because I sleep with my mouth open (can't help it) and I suffer dry mouth.
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When I sleep on my back my mouth opens too and my throat gets really dry and sore. I changed and I now sleep on my front and I don't have that issue any more.
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Maybe I need to fix my two teeth and the smell will go away.
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I really want a tongue scraper! I currently just use my toothbrush but it's not as effective as I'd like it to be
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I had a situation with bad breath most of this year and I can tell you it was the worst experience ever.. I had no confidence to talk to people and I didn’t even want to socialise.. I went to countless specialist, many blood tests and plenty of money to find I had nothing wrong !! WTF !! I could taste my breath and it was disgusting.. finally after going through my diet, I discovered chai seeds were upsetting my gut health which lead to my horrible stinky breath.. I hope If there is anyone else out there suffering like i did, my story helps
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Luckily one problem not on my list
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Tongue scrapers are the best thing! I use Dr Tung. Lasts forever!! I have trouble when other people have bad breath... Should you tell them? How? I struggle. I think I would hope someone would tell me if I had bad breath though.
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All helpful tips. I find that brushing my tongue helps and I'm at ease when I have gum or mints handy.
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I'm not sure if or how much it affects my breath but dehydration causes a yucky taste in my mouth and so does sinus problems
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Good hygiene like brushing and flossing certainly helps control bad breath but if you need to take medication then the cause could be more like gut health imbalance. Antibiotics kill bacteria, both good and bad and the result may be bad breath. Finding a suitable probiotic may assist. There are many products out there to help stabilise gut health so if good dental practices don't work look into this option. I know from personal experience when taking lots of medication for pain, I suffered terrible halitosis and finding a solution for my gut imbalance worked a treat. Even now, when I take medication I notice the difference.
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I carry around a mini bottle of mouth wash, and gum. Not hardcore enough to actually bring a toothbrush!
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I hate coffee breath! Always have gum or mints in my bag to have after my coffee.
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I hate visiting the dentist
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I have such dental anxiety my last BIG procedure was under General Anaesthetic. I also get dry mouth from anxiety so always have a mint on hand to help.
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Oh my gosh that sounds so scary!
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I don't have a breath problem, but I dislike my coffee breath after I have a cappuccino. I carry mints in my makeup purse & have one when I check my lippy after a cuppa.
I brush regularly but I don't floss regularly enough. When I remove the floss it always smells bad, so I should floss more often.
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I need to floss as well, I find my gums bleed when I do
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