6) Keep your tongue clean

Tongue is a potential breeding ground for bacteria causing bad breath. Remove plaque from the tongue every morning using a tongue cleaner. You can also use a tongue scraper or a tongue brush, but if possible, avoid using toothbrush for this purpose. Cleaning your tongue is essential because it removes loads of bacteria, dead cells, food debris and fungus (like candida) from the surface of the tongue and prevents bad breath.

7) Follow a healthy diet

Avoid food that might spell trouble for your dental health. Frequent intake of black tea, colas, sodas, aerated dark juices, alcohol, red wine etc will lead to tooth decay. These contain acids that react with the teeth and dissolve calcium, leading to fragile and sensitive teeth. Avoid sweets, sugary snacks in between meals. Eat teeth-cleaning fruits like apple, and vegetables like carrot. Have calcium-rich food. Milk (skimmed) and green leafy vegetables are rich sources of calcium.

8 ) Never leave your mouth dry

The anti-microbial properties of saliva help you fight bacteria and prevents plaque formation. Some people develop dry mouth because of insufficient saliva production or due to other disorders.

If you suffer from dry mouth, do the following:

  • Keep your mouth wet. Sip water frequently
  • Use saliva substitutes that have carboxymethylcellulose or hydroxyethyl cellulose
  • Do not use mouthwashes that contain alcohol
  • Chew sugar-free gum or suck sugar-free candies
  • Do not use antihistamines or decongestants
  • Reduce the quantity of caffeine intake

9) Avoid using tobacco products

Smoking cigarrettes will cause dry mouth and bad breath. It will also damage gums and supporting tissues. Smoking also affects the natural colour of your teeth. The more you smoke, the darker your teeth will become. Chewing tobacco products will also have similar effect on your dental health. Tobacco also causes oral cancer.

10) Use fluoride judiciously

Fluoride strengthens enamel and prevents tooth decay. Sufficient fluoride intake ensures your teeth are healthy. You can drink water that is fluoridated. Or you can use toothpaste that has fluoride in it. Some rinses also contain fluoride. Make sure that you don’t have too much fluoride in your food or toothpaste. Overuse can cause white spots (enamel fluorosis) on your teeth. Make sure your kids do not swallow toothpaste containing fluoride because it may permanently discolour their teeth.

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