Having a lingering bad breath without knowing how to stop it can be quite frustrating especially if you are diligent with the dental hygiene rules by brushing twice daily, flossing once daily and visiting the dentist every 6 months. The following are foods that may cause bad breath despite your brushing routine.
1. Garlic: when you eat garlic, the odour lingers in your mouth and also gets absorbed in the blood. From the blood, it is transferred to the lungs where it comes out with the air you exhale which can last for hours or days. This does not mean you should stop eating garlic, rather, you can apply some moderation when eating it as well as brushing and flossing your teeth immediately after.
2. Onions: Eating onions will also leave a lingering odour similar to what happens with garlic. People who eat suya will be more familiar with this odour that comes the morning after eating onions with your suya. Remember to brush your teeth after eating and don’t eat too much onions.
3. Alcohol and Coffee: taking alcohol or coffee can cause dry mouth which eventually leads to bad breath because there is little saliva to bath the mouth. To prevent this, drink water after taking coffee and throughout the day. Also, avoid taking alcohol.
4. Beans: beans is in a class of food known as proteins. These foods are easily broken down by bacteria to give off products which cause bad breath. The effect can be reduced by brushing and flossing the teeth after eating as well as drinking water.
5. Meat, Fish, Eggs and dairy products: these are also proteins and eating a lot of these (proteins) may cause bad breath. To prevent this, floss after eating to get rid of food stuck in between the teeth which can give off bad breath.
To freshen your breath, you can chew sugarless/sugar free gum. This stimulates saliva to clean your mouth as well as freshens the breath.
Please see your dentist if bad breath persists. See also how to prevent or stop bad breath