If you want to learn how to stop bad breath from mouth naturally you’re not alone as they’re many people dealing with this problem. Also known as halitosis, bad breath is one of the most embarrassing problems anyone can experience.

Many people turn to gums and mints to help rid themselves of the unpleasant odor coming from their mouth but the small relief they get is usually temporary.

What Causes Bad Breath from Mouth

If you really want to know how to stop bad breath from mouth you’re going to have to figure out what’s causing the problem. There are various things that could be causing the bad breath originating in your mouth.

However, we’re going to focus on 2 of the most common causes of bad breath coming from your mouth

Poor Dental Hygiene – This is one of the most common causes which is why it’s important to brush and floss your teeth everyday. People who neglect daily dental hygiene practices like brushing their teeth often accumulate food particles in their mouth which leads to bacteria that causes halitosis. Even your tongue can accumulate bacteria that eventually produces foul odor from your mouth.

Dry Mouth – If your mouth is constantly dry it can also lead to bad breath because a lack of saliva prevents odor causing bacteria from being flushed out. There are many conditions that can cause dry mouth such as hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and anemia. There are also medications that could potentially make your mouth dry as a side effect. A few of these medications include antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and diuretics.

Of course there are many other things that could be causing your bad breath. To get a full list of common causes of bad breath click here.

How to Stop Bad Breath From Mouth Naturally

If you’ve been trying to figure out how to stop bad breath from mouth the answer is to stop the halitosis causing bacteria. Things like dry mouth and not brushing your teeth all lead to bacteria build up which causes the foul odor coming from your mouth.

Once you learn how to kill the bad bacteria and stop it from growing in your mouth you won’t have to worry about halitosis any longer.

Below you’ll find some simple yet effective things you can begin doing to stop the overgrowth of bacteria inside your mouth:

How to Stop Bad Breath in Mouth by Starving the Bacteria

Learning how to stop bad breath from mouth involves starving the halitosis causing bacteria. There are a number of things that can feed these bacteria and make it impossible for you to enjoy fresh smelling breath.

Some of the things you can begin doing to stop feeding the odor causing bacteria inside your mouth include:

Cleaning Your Teeth

The easiest way to begin starving these odor causing bacteria in your mouth is to clean your teeth regularly by brushing them at least twice each day. When you don’t practice good dental hygiene on a daily basis you’re leaving behind all the nutrients these bacteria love to feed on and reproduce.

The problem with most people when they brush their teeth is they only do it for 30 seconds each session which isn’t long enough. Start brushing your teeth for at least 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to really brush away all the unwanted debris that can feed the bacteria.

Along with brushing your teeth properly you should also floss in between them thoroughly. Flossing helps eliminate all the junk your toothbrush couldn’t reach.

The most important time during the day to clean your mouth out of anything that could feed the bacteria is at night right before you go to sleep. Brushing and flossing your teeth at night is most important because the night time provides the best opportunity for the bacteria to overgrow and produce smelly gases.

This is why most people wake up with what’s called “Morning Breath”, because their mouth is so sour from the build up of bacteria that took place the night before while they were sleeping.

Use a Good Mouthwash

You should also consider adding a good antiseptic mouthwash to your daily dental routine. Stay away from any mouthwash that contains alcohol because they can make your mouth dry and create an environment that the odor causing bacteria loves.

If you’re not sure what mouthwash is a good choice to slow down the bacterial growth in your mouth you can ask your dentist. You can also click here to learn more about the best mouthwash to use for bad breath.

Tongue Scraping

If you want to learn how to stop bad breath from mouth a tongue scraper can be a huge help. Even though using a toothbrush is an effective way to clean your teeth and gums, you also need to clean your tongue thoroughly with a good tongue scraper.

Cleaning your tongue is important because most of the bad breath coming from your mouth is due to the build up of debris towards the back of your tongue. The best thing for you to do is scrape the surface of your tongue with a good tongue scraper from back to front to remove all the odor causing debris your toothbrush would have normally missed.

Check out this video that shows you why it’s so important to begin scraping your tongue regularly to stop bad breath coming from your mouth:

Watch What You Eat

Along with practicing good dental hygiene on a daily basis you should also watch what you eat. There’s no doubt that what you feed yourself can also feed the bacteria in your mouth.

One of the main things you need to eat less off in order to reduce the presence of the odor causing bacteria in your mouth are foods that contain a high amount of sugar. Sugar feeds the halitosis bacteria in your mouth more than anything else.

When you eat foods with high sugar content the bacteria inside your mouth takes the sugars and creates acid with it. This acid produced from the sugar gradually builds up plaque around your teeth and gums, which eventually causes not just bad breath but also a host of other oral health problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, and more.

With all that being said stay away from candies, chocolates, sweets, sodas, and anything else that contains a lot of refined sugar.

Just like sugary foods, foods high in carbohydrates should also be avoided or reduced because they create an acidic environment inside your mouth that feeds the bacteria responsible for your bad breath.

Reduce your consumption of starchy foods such as bread, potato chips, and pizza at least until your breath begins to improve. While you’re trying to figure out how to stop bad breath from mouth you want to avoid all things that can feed the bacteria causing it.

Finally, you also want to stay away from alcoholic drinks because they can leave your mouth dry and once again create an environment the odor causing bacteria in your mouth loves.

To learn what foods you should eat that have the potential to cure halitosis click here.

How to Remove Bad Breath from Mouth by Increasing the Good Bacteria

Believe it or not, but not all bacteria is bad to have in your mouth. There are actually good bacteria that live in your mouth that can help your breath smell better. One of these helpful oral bacteria is Streptococcus salivarius which a study confirmed reduces the odor causing bacteria responsible for halitosis.

A couple other oral bacteria you should focus on increasing to improve your breath are L. plantarum L-137 and S. salivarius M18.

One of the main ways these beneficial bacteria stop bad breath is by stimulating the production of saliva which helps wash away sugar, leftover food particles, and other things that can feed the odor causing bacteria.

Below you’ll find some simple ways to increase the good bacteria in your mouth until it outnumbers the bad bacteria:

Increase The pH Level in Your Mouth

The pH level in your mouth lets you know how acidic or alkaline it is. When you have a low pH level your mouth is very acidic and if it’s high your mouth is alkaline.

When your mouth is acidic it contributes to the growth of the odor causing bacteria which is why it’s important to keep your mouth on the alkaline side. If you want to know for sure if your mouth is alkaline or acidic you can use a pH testing strip on your saliva.

To do this fill a tablespoon with your saliva and then put a pH strip in the liquid to measure the current pH level of your mouth. If you find your mouth is on the acidic side you can start eating more alkaline foods to raise its pH balance and strengthen the number of the good bacteria.

Some of the best alkalinizing foods you can eat to maintain a healthy pH balance inside your mouth include:

Fruits – Apples, Bananas, Peaches, and Pears.

Apples, Bananas, Peaches, and Pears. Vegetables – Broccoli, Celery, Kale, Mushrooms, Carrots, and Lettuce.

Broccoli, Celery, Kale, Mushrooms, Carrots, and Lettuce. Drinks – Teas, Vegetables Drinks, and Unsweetened Fruit Drinks.

Teas, Vegetables Drinks, and Unsweetened Fruit Drinks. Nuts – Cashews, Almonds, Peanuts, and Pistachios.

Along with eating more these foods listed above you should also try your best to reduce the amount of acidic foods you eat. Some low pH foods you should stay away from include:

Sodas

Candy

Sugary Foods

Processed Foods

Sweet Fruit Drinks

When you eat too much of these acidic foods it causes your mouth to be loaded with bacteria that causes tooth decay, plaque, and bad breath.

You can click here to get a full list of alkaline foods that can help maintain a healthy pH level in your mouth.

Another way to increase the pH level inside your mouth is to rinse it out with an alkaline mouthwash. If you can’t get your hands on an alkaline mouthwash you could just mix a little baking soda with warm water and swish it around in your mouth for a minute.

Xylitol

Often used as a sugar substitute in many foods, xylitol is a sugar free sweetener that looks and tastes just like sugar but has less calories and can actually provide many dental benefits.

The reason xylitol is so beneficial to your oral health is because it prevents the bad bacteria inside your mouth from sticking to surfaces on your teeth, which inhibits the bacteria from causing plaque, tooth decay, gingivitis, and halitosis.

The best part about xylitol is that it will reduce the levels of bad bacteria while strengthening the friendly bacteria in your mouth. You can check out this study that shows how some people were able to rid themselves of the odor causing bacteria in their mouth by chewing on xylitol gum.

How to Cure Bad Breath from Mouth by Killing The Odor Causing Bacteria

Now that you’ve learned a few ways to stop feeding the odor causing bacteria and start increasing the good ones, it’s time to learn a couple effective ways to kill the bacteria in your mouth causing your halitosis.

Some of the best ways to kill the odor causing bacteria in your mouth include:

Licorice Root

Licorice root has been used for years to treat various health problems. The reason it’s one of the best bad breath cures is because it contains anti-bacterial agents such as licoricidin that kill Streptococcus mutans and other oral bacteria responsible for most causes of halitosis.

The best way to take advantage of the anti-bacterial fighting power of licorice root is to simply chew on it. When you chew on the licorice root it will release the components that fight off the halitosis causing bacteria inside your mouth. There are also sugar-free lollipops that contain licorice root extract you can suck on to help reduce the odor causing bacteria in your mouth.

Cranberries

The polyphenols that cranberries natural have are effective when it comes to treating oral health problems like periodontal disease and bad breath. According to one study cranberry is able to stop bad breath and other oral problems by reducing the ability for bacteria and plaque to stick to your teeth and gums.

To eliminate the halitosis causing bacteria by reducing its stickiness drink 1 cup of unsweetened cranberry juice 3 times each day. You can also take 400 mg cranberry extract supplements 2 times each day to help prevent the bacteria from sticking in your mouth and producing foul odors.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve learned how to stop bad breath from mouth naturally start starving the halitosis causing bacteria by brushing and flossing your teeth, as well as scraping your tongue.

Along with improving your dental hygiene you also want to start increasing the good bacteria in your mouth by making your mouth more alkaline. Finally, begin killing the odor causing bacteria in your mouth by chewing on a licorice root or drinking some cranberry juice.