While my breath was not hideous, it certainly caused me more problems than it should in the past. As an everyday sufferer with a mild to moderate odour, here are some tips and practices I've discovered that have pretty much eliminated it from my life.
1. Sort out your dry mouth. If you have a dry mouth, you're very likely to have bad breath. The solution? Drink more water. This also helps keep you regular and those who have done their research will know that being constipated can very much affect your breath - negatively. Forget mouthwash - it contains alcohol, which (stupidly) dries out your mouth and makes bad breath worse. If you DO use a mouthwash, choose one that is alcohol free - Colgate Plax does one. Chewing gum, sucking mints etc. can help get saliva flowing when your mouth feels dry. I'm sure you all know this already.
2. Consider investing in a personal halimeter - they're tiny and discreet and will tell you frankly if your breath is stinkin'. This will either help reassure you you're alright, or inform you that you need to freshen up.
I bought this one -
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/Se ... ctID=20118 - from this site and it goes everywhere with me.
3. If you haven't yet tried the magnificent Orabrush, then buy one. I can't stress enough how much this product has helped me, and how superior it is to regular tongue scrapers. The little bristles really do help clean deep down into the carpet of your tongue rather than just scraping off the top layer of shite. Get one here -
http://www.orabrush.com/
4. Brush your teeth very carefully with a sonic toothbrush. Do not saw backwards and forwards across the tooth surfaces - with a sonic toothbrush you only need to hold it gently against the surfaces of your teeth and move it in small circles to effectively remove plaque and get your teeth really clean. Angling the toothbrush towards the gums also helps.
5. Check you do not have an operculum - this is a flap of gum that covers a partially erupted wisdom tooth - I have these and the stuff that gets stuck under them smells horrific. I remove it using an interdental brush, but you can also use a small plastic needleless syringe to flush the space out.
6. Avoid stink foods and things that will dry out your mouth. Drink ONLY water. Try not to breathe too much through your mouth. Everyone knows this anyway.
My routine, both morning and evening:
Moisten mouth with water. Use Orabrush on tongue until it comes off clean.
Brush teeth with a good toothpaste - I like Aquafresh Extreme Clean Pure Breath - it's a foam paste that contains zinc, and once you get past the slightly odd taste and texture, it does a pretty good job. Spit and rinse with water - always rinse with water - you wouldn't want to sniff a bowl of washing up suds that had been used to clean last night's dishes... so don't leave toothpaste in your mouth!
Clean tongue with sonic toothbrush and water... as far back as possible and up the sides. I almost put mine down my throat in order to ensure my tongue is really clean. There are ways to train your gag reflex - with practice it should diminish.
Rinse toothbrush, and brush tongue again, this time with a little toothpaste. Then rinse and brush it again with water, before using Orabrush to remove any remnants left over.
Gargle with water, and then floss. Always floss after brushing. Take a long drink of water (and many more throughout the day).
It may seem long-winded, but this is the only way I can keep my breath fresh.
