Children are repeatedly taught to brush their teeth twice daily, once right after they wake up in the morning and once before they go to bed at night. If people followed that good habit into adulthood, then bad breath would not be the third most common form of dental problems after tooth decay and gum disease. A lack of dental hygiene is a widespread issue that affects half the adult population in the country.

The causes of bad breath could be many; not cleaning your teeth properly, the foods you eat, tooth decay or gum disease, dry mouth, using tobacco products, diseases such as respiratory or tonsil infections, sinusitis, diabetes, liver and kidney ailments, cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or metabolic disorders, consuming coffee or alcohol in excess, and taking prescription medicines are some of the common ones. However, there are some natural remedies for relieving bad breath in adults that you can follow. Bad breath can easily be eliminated with some quick-fix solutions from the comfort of your home. Here are the seven most effective natural remedies for bad breath.

1. Brush, floss, and clean
A simple routine, but a remarkably effective one. Brushing your teeth morning and night, gently cleaning and scraping your tongue, and flossing between the teeth at least twice daily clears away food particles stuck in your mouth. These healthy oral habits halt plaque build-up, keeps unhealthy, odor-causing bacteria out of your mouth and prevent tooth decay.

2. Stay hydrated
Drinking adequate water helps flush down tiny food particles from inside your mouth and wash away unfavorable bacteria.

3. Snack healthily
Snack on fresh fruits like apples and oranges and “natural floss” vegetables like carrots and celery a few times a week. Vitamin C helps produce more saliva and that eliminates bad breath. Chew on fresh mint, peppermint, cardamom, or cloves. Do this two times a day and feel your breath smell fresh instantly. Natural compounds found in these foods help keep your teeth clean and bad breath away by neutralizing foul-smelling odors.

4. Consume fennel, anise, and probiotic food
Include fennel, anise, and probiotics like plain yogurt or miso in your everyday diet. These natural mouth fresheners help keep your breath clean by naturally increasing the number of good bacteria in your gut. Good gut health aids in escaping bad breath.

5. Chew gum
Chewing on sugarless gum with Xylitol helps produce saliva that keeps odor-causing bacteria away, therefore keeping your mouth hydrated, and bad breath away.

6. Use baking soda mouthwash
Use baking soda to maintain good oral health. Make a solution of half a spoon of baking soda in a glass of warm water. This is an effective homemade mouthwash that conquers bad breath. It also helps prevent the formation of plaque and prevents gum disease.

7. Quit smoking
Quit smoking to make your mouth smell better and keep bad breath away as well as reduce the chances of developing other health conditions like cancer.

Apart from the aforementioned natural remedies for bad breath, reduce their intake of caffeinated drinks and stop breathing through your mouth. If the problem of bad breath persists in spite of all these natural remedies, visit the dentist for a professional dental clean up.