Home remedies for bad breath seem to be on the increase in recent times. One possible reason for this may be that more and more people are cottoning onto the fact that while many conventional so-called ‘bad breath cures’ are perhaps effective in masking symptoms temporarily, they’re maybe not quite so good at eliminating halitosis on a permanent basis.



Nowadays, many bad breath support forums are full of praise for simple bad breath home remedies, with lots of different suggestions on various ways to cure bad breath without having to resort to expensive specialist oral hygiene products.



Certainly, during the course of our research we’ve come across many home remedies for bad breath which appear to have offered permanent relief for thousands of people.




However, in the interests of fairness and because we aim to give you as much relevant info as we can on all matters related to bad breath, we’ve also included a number of particular home remedies which members of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) have identified as being of little benefit and have recommended should be avoided.



1. Excessive Use Of Mouthwashes



Using oral rinses excessively can produce sloughy tissue in your mouth and can actually cause your breath to smell more rancid than it did before.



This may be attributed to the fact that many mouthwashes contain alcohol which can dehydrate you and dry your mouth out. This in turn creates ideal breeding conditions for the bacteria that live in your mouth and which are the number 1 cause of most bad breath cases.



2. Breath Mints



A sweet-smelling mouth does not necessarily equal a healthy mouth.



In fact, eating mints and other breath sweets and lozenges on a regular basis may increase your risk of developing cavities, another factor which can contribute to bad breath.



3. Chewing Gum



It’s essential to have a good amount of saliva in your mouth to prevent it from drying out and encouraging mouth bacteria to flourish.



While chewing gum can indeed increase salivary flow, its effectiveness is however limited to temporarily masking any bad smells and it’s recommended that you should instead drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to stay properly hydrated.



4. Mint Chew Tobacco



While cutting out cigarettes is always a good move health-wise, you should always avoid chewing on smokeless tobacco as a replacement.



This is because it can cause your gums to recede and increase the risk of losing the bones and fibers that hold your teeth in place.



Even more importantly, it can also contribute to the risk of developing oral cancer.



5. Alcohol



While it’s nice to indulge in a little drink from time to time, you should however steer clear of alcohol as a means of getting rid of bad breath.



As mentioned above, it has the effect of drying your mouth out and stimulates the bacteria that can cause bad breath. Plus there’s the inevitable hangover the morning after!



6. Intestinal Cleansing



Before embarking on any course of treatment for intestinal cleansing, make sure that your dentist has identified this area of your body as being the cause of your bad breath.



Despite popular belief, the number 1 cause of bad breath is anaerobic bacteria found in the mouth. Serious medical conditions and problems with other areas of the body such as the stomach are actually quite rare, so always get checked over BEFORE signing yourself up to any expensive – not to mention invasive! – treatments.



7. Rinsing With Kerosene



Kerosene can burn your mouth out so steer well clear of it.



Likewise, the AAP also state that you should always avoid using cleansers used for household cleaning to tackle your bad breath as they often contain harmful chemicals.



While the AAP recommend a number of different things that should be avoided, that’s not to say there aren’t lots of other home remedies for bad breath out there that many people reckon have worked wonders for them.



As with most things, always use your own judgment before using any home remedies for halitosis and seek professional medical or dental advice if you’re unsure about how safe or how effective a particular treatment may be.



For more articles like this one on home remedies for bad breath, click here.

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