Everyone has struggled with the dreaded social faux pas of having bad breath. Whether it’s in a social or professional setting, you aren’t going to make a great first impression when people have to hold their breath to even look in your direction.

Unfortunately, just avoiding foods like garlic and onions doesn’t always do the trick to combat bad breath. Dr. Aaron Jones from Highland Park Dental has a few dental and lifestyle suggestions on how to battle bad breath, in addition to visiting him for your checkup every six months.

Dental 

• Floss
• Brush your tongue
• Drink plenty of water
• Chew on cinnamon gum (make sure it’s sugar free and beware of allergies) 

Lifestyle

• Avoid stress
• Avoid smoking and alcohol
• Avoid products high in sugar
• Chew on parsley
• Blow your nose more often
• Eat a healthy diet 

“The most surprising suggestions to me were to avoid stress and to blow your nose more often,” says Dr. Jones. “Obviously, stress is something that you want to try to avoid for your mental health, but I never thought about it affecting my breath."

According to Dr. Jones, when you are stressed, your mouth tends to dry out, which can cause bad breath. As far as blowing your nose, getting rid of the mucus in your body can only do good things for your breath and the rest of your body.

Most of the listed suggestions are not only good to battle bad breath, but are also beneficial to your overall health.

“I don’t believe that chewing on parsley or cinnamon gum would qualify for that [overall health benefits], but they definitely both pack a punch in the fight against bad breath,” says Dr. Jones.

If you were wondering why parsley — the garnish they put on your plate at many restaurants — is suggested for bad breath, the answer is that it is full of chlorophyll, which kills harmful bacteria that can cause you to have bad breath.

To fight more than just bad breath, the healthy life trifecta includes nutrition, exercise and oral care. The good news is that these three things tend to frequently blend together. Take the suggestion of avoiding smoking as an example. “Smoking is bad for your lungs and your mouth. When you avoid it, your likelihood of throat cancer decreases, your breath is definitely going to be better than that of a smoker, and your lungs are stronger and able to handle an exercise regimen,” says Dr. Jones.

To help you achieve better oral and overall health, try these suggestions from Dr. Aaron Jones, while making sure to get a dental checkup every six months. Call Highland Park Dental at 214-499-9455 to schedule your appointment. 

Highland Park Dental
6725 Hillcrest Avenue
(next to Starbucks in Snider Plaza)
Dallas, Texas 75205

214-499-9455
www.hpdentist.com