Ayurveda expert on tips to get rid of bad breath

Practicing good oral hygiene, drinking adequate amount of water, eating more fruits and vegetables and avoiding sugary foods and tobacco-based products could help you avoid bad breath.

Bad breath also known as halitosis can can be caused by poor dental health or gut health, acidity, diabetes, lung infection or even less water intake. Not brushing teeth regularly could lead to bacterial growth in the mouth causing bad breath. Smoking or chewing tobacco is also known to cause bad breath. Bad breath could also be a sign of peridontal or gum diseases and one must visit their dentist to know the exact cause.

Bad breath could also be a sign of peridontal or gum diseases and one must visit their dentist to know the exact cause. (Shutterstock)

Practicing good oral hygiene, drinking adequate amount of water, eating more fruits and vegetables and avoiding sugary foods and tobacco-based products could help in many cases.

According to Ayurveda expert Dr Dixa Bhavsar, there could be many causes behind bad breath from poor oral hygiene, less water intake, frequent eating, poor gut health, chronic constipation, hyperacidity, breathing through mouth while sleeping among others.

While best treatment is to find the cause and avoid it here are 5 tips as per Dr Bhavsar that can help you prevent halitosis.

1. Brushing twice a day (in the morning and evening)

Brushing and tongue scraping in morning helps you eradicate all the toxins accumulated in the mouth overnight. If you brush and tongue scrap even at night, it ensures optimum oral health as you sleep with a clean mouth which is most important for your gut health.

2. Eating fennel seeds post meals

Fennel seeds are digestive in nature and consist of flavonoids. This helps stimulate the flow of saliva and hence get rid of dry mouth. Fennel seeds have aromatic flavour which helps combat the bad breath which often accompanies dry mouth.

3. Rinsing mouth (kavala) post meal

Ayurveda doesn't recommend drinking water right after meals as it can slow down your metabolism. But water is must for cleaning of mouth especially after meals. So just gargling (filling your mouth with some water and swishing it for 2-3 minutes which is known as kavala is ayurveda) can be done. It ensures no food particles are left or stuck in the mouth.

4. Gap your meals properly (no frequent snacking)

Snacking frequently leaves more chances of food getting stuck in the mouth. It is impractical to brush whenever you eat something. So for your oral health as well as your gut health, try having three proper meals and stop snacking every two hours. It is best to keep at least three hours of gap between two consecutive meals.

5. Drinking Enough water

Yes, drinkng water is mandatory for every function of your body especially oral health.

How much water should you drink?

Dr Bhavsar says one should consume enough water to keep the urine pale and not yellow. If your urine is crystal clear to pale- it means you are drinking enough water and if it is yellow, you should drink more water.

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