Have you been confronted by family members, colleagues, or girlfriends about having bad breath? It’s something that can make anyone feel self conscious in any social setting. But having bad breath does not have to be a life sentence. Using a combination of products, methods, and effort, bad breath can be gone for good.

Use Baking Soda Toothpaste
Toothpaste without baking soda only masks food and bacteria odors, while baking soda toothpaste actually neutralizes odors. Most big toothpaste manufacturers have baking soda varieties of their toothpastes that are about the same price as regular toothpaste. The only drawback to using baking soda toothpastes is that they usually taste worse that regular toothpaste. To remedy this, you can brush with a better tasting toothpaste after brushing with baking soda toothpaste to clean out the taste.

Floss thoroughly
When flossing, take the time to go back and forth on the inner sides of your teeth to remove all of the plaque and food that might be there. The idea is to clean your teeth where your tooth brush can’t. Wash off your floss or use a clean section of floss before moving onto the next tooth. It is important to floss regularly during the day. If at all possible, floss after meals so food doesn’t get a chance to develop nasty odors while lodged in between your teeth.

Scrape Your Tongue
Scraping your tongue is just as important as brushing and flossing. There is a whole world of bacteria that can grow on your tongue that can make your breath smell. This bacteria buildup can also be unsightly and make your tongue look white. It is especially important to use a tongue scraper in the morning, when bacteria build up is the greatest.

Take Your Time
Brushing properly takes at least three minutes. If you regularly have bad breath, you will want to brush your teeth for longer than that. In addition to brushing for three minutes, you should floss and scrape your tongue, which can add even more time. It’s an extra time commitment for sure, but sometimes you really have to work at it to get results. So put aside enough time in your daily routine to clean your mouth completely.

Don’t Eat Before Going To Bed
Going to sleep with food particles in your mouth can have a big negative impact on your breath the next day. To prevent this, simply allow at least 30 minutes between eating and going to bed. It also helps to rinse your mouth after each meal to remove small food particles from your mouth and throat.

Brush At Least Three Times A Day
Most people only brush their teeth when they wake up and when they go to bed. If you have bad breath on a regular basis, it is recommended you brush your teeth at least three times a day. Once when you wake up, once after eating lunch, and once before going to bed. This will keep your teeth cleaner and prevent plaque and bacteria from building up in your mouth and causing bad breath.

Drink water frequently
Drinking water frequently is a great way to help get rid of bad breath. It rinses out of your mouth and keeps your mouth from getting dry. Drinking water also is a lot healthier and cheaper than drinking soft drinks. Soft drinks also have a high amount of sugar and caffeine which encourages plaque growth. Soft drinks also are much more acidic than water, which can damage your tooth enamel. The best way to start drinking water is to buy a water filtration system for your house and workplace. These are fairly inexpensive considering how long the filters last, and can give you clean and fresh tasting water for months.

Following these tips will help you get rid of bad breath for good. Having cleaner breath takes some effort, but will make you feel more confident.