| Target your tongue. Tongue scraping isn't all that | | | | door. Ayurvedic physicians often recommend |
| common in Western oral hygiene. But Ayurvedic | | | | chewing a pinch of fennel seeds after eating to |
| physicians have been recommending it for | | | | freshen the breath. |
| centuries. "It's very helpful, but few people do it;" | | | | Naturopathy |
| Dr. Brauer says. | | | | Discover the digestion connection. Naturopaths |
| Tongue scrapers are hard to come by. If you | | | | such as Joseph Pizzomo Jr., N.D., believe that poor |
| don't have a tongue scraper, Dr. Brauer | | | | digestion contributes to bad breath. Dr. Pizzomo's |
| recommends using your toothbrush. You have to | | | | advice: Keep your digestive system functioning |
| brush the very back of your tongue, which may | | | | smoothly by eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet with |
| cause gagging. "But with a little practice, you can | | | | plenty of grains, fruits, and vegetables. |
| overcome your gag reflex," he says. | | | | Medical Measures |
| Disinfect dentures. If you wear removable | | | | For bad breath, the most effective |
| dentures or any other dental appliance, clean it | | | | mouthÂwash is a prescription product called |
| daily and soak it in a commercial denture cleanser | | | | Peridex, which contains the antibacterial antiseptic |
| overnight. | | | | chlorhexidine. In one study, 6 months of regular |
| Chew gum. Chewing gum gets your saliva flowing, | | | | rinsing with Peridex reduced oral bacteria by more |
| which helps eliminate bad breath. Any ordinary | | | | than 50 percent. Dr. Replogle recommends rinsing |
| gum will do-it needn't have special | | | | for 30 seconds twice a day after brushing. |
| breath-freshening ingredients, Dr. Simons says. | | | | Some people get stains on their teeth when using |
| Banish those butts. If you need another reason to | | | | chlorhexidine, but any stains can be removed by |
| give up smoking, here it is: Tobacco causes bad | | | | professional cleaning. Also, chlorhexidine may |
| breath. | | | | impair the sense of taste. If this happens to you, |
| Other Good Choices | | | | consult your dentist. He may suggest that you |
| Chinese Medicine | | | | use the mouthwash a few times a week rather |
| Turn down the Heat. In Chinese medicine, bad | | | | than daily. |
| breath results from excessive Heat in the | | | | Red Flags |
| Stomach. For treatment, Efrem KornÂgold, | | | | If you suddenly develop persistent bad breath and |
| a.M.D., L.Ac., recommends consuming "cooling" | | | | it doesn't clear up after a few weeks of |
| foods such as cucumber, peppermint tea, and | | | | aggressive home treatment and professional |
| tomatoes. He also suggests avoiding "hot" foods | | | | teeth cleaning, consult a physician. A number of |
| such as coffee, alcohol, and spicy dishes. | | | | potentially serious conditions have bad breath as a |
| Ayuredic Medicine | | | | symptom, including diabetes, kidney failure, lupus, |
| Nibble on fennel. Instead of mints, many Indian | | | | liver and gallbladder disorders, and certain cancers. |
| restaurants keep a bowl of fennel seeds by the | | | | |