Listerine

Bad breath

Does my breath smell?

No one likes to be on the wrong end of bad breath, let alone suffer from it. But it doesn’t have to mean the end of the world. In fact, most people suffer from bad breath occasionally, and it’s not surprising when you think about all the things like alcohol, sweets, coffee and even smoking that we may subject our mouth to on a daily basis.

Bad breath can be caused by a number of other things too: like dental decay, gum disease, catarrh, excessive bacterial activity in the mouth and throat, tonsil infection, food trapped between teeth and even a dry mouth. (Although there are several other possible causes like Sinusitis, Polyps, Bronchitis and ^*Pneumonia that affect the airways and can cause halitosis – otherwise known as bad breath.) Luckily, all of these can usually be sorted out easily. ^*

Keep your breath smelling fresh

Keeping breath smelling fresher than fresh only requires a little bit of effort on your part; you just need to ensure that you maintain a high level of dental hygiene. Here are a few tips that might help you beat bad breath:

• Use dental floss after brushing to clean between your teeth.
• Use a mouthwash like LISTERINE^® in the morning and evening to help reduce bad breath by killing bacteria in the hard-to-reach places.
• Make sure you clean right to the back of your tongue.
• Drink plenty of fluids (but try to avoid too much coffee).^*
• Chew sugar-free gum, especially when your mouth feels dry.
• Eat fresh, fibrous vegetables such as carrots and broccoli – they can help clean your teeth.
• Visit your dentist regularly – they can help spot any issues early and prevent them developing into something more serious.