Teenagers often worry about bad breath and we are asked about it a lot. How can you tell if you have it? If you are worried, book a check up and ask your dentist. Your dentist will be honest with you, because dentists deal with these issues all the time. If you do have a problem, your dentist may well be able to suggest some simple steps you can take to overcome it. For instance, it is really important you clean your teeth thoroughly, brushing your gums and tongue as well. Get into all the difficult areas with a small-headed brush. You can chew a disclosing tablet to see if you have missed any of your lunch – which also makes a great photo! Brush twice a day.
We all know foods like garlic can cause temporary bad breath – which is natural if not entirely pleasant! What you should be more worried about is a persistent problem which is not related to something you have just eaten. Bad breath (or halitosis) is most commonly caused by poor teeth cleaning.
Unfortunately just sucking mints won’t work – in fact the mints give more food to the bugs that can cause bad breath in the first place making things worse and they can cause decay too.
If you have had something to eat that makes your breath smell, the best thing is to chew some sugar-free gum.
Oh and smoking…bad breath GUARANTEED! If you want to have teeth and breath like on the toothpaste adverts – don’t smoke!