3 Functional Dentist Tips To Prevent Bad Breath & Boost Oral Health

Paranoid about bad breath? While the mint gum may help you in the moment, it's certainly not a long-term solution. But don't worry; we're not going to suggest the obvious "brush your teeth more" as the only prevention method worth trying. 

"If you breathe through your mouth, you are going to have oral health complications," says Burhenne, including bad breath. See, you may notice after a night of mouth breathing that your gums and tongue feel dry—and that's not a good thing. 

"Saliva is the life giver in the mouth. It supports the oral microbiome, and it helps prevent decay. It activates the immune system1. It allows us to speak and swallow and digest foods," Burhenne explains. So, by limiting that saliva throughout the night, you're keeping your oral microbiome in a less than ideal state. 

The solution: mouth tape. We know it sounds odd at first, but properly designed mouth tape makes the switch to nasal breathing all the easier. Here's our full guide to mouth-taping if you want to learn more about getting started. 

Once you wake up and remove your mouth tape, the first thing you'll want to do is scrape your tongue—yes, even before you brush your teeth. 

Rather than brushing your tongue with the back of your toothbrush, you'll want to use a designated tongue scraper. It's a long, thin, flat piece of metal (or plastic) shaped like a "U" to remove bacteria, food debris, and dead cells from the surface of the tongue. "You basically reach back as far as you can on the tongue, stick your tongue out, and drag this forward a few times along your tongue," Burhenne explains. It's actually a ritual practiced for centuries in Ayurveda, known as Jihwa Prakshalana.

Burhenne compares the tongue to a shag carpet, in that it easily traps debris and bacteria in its nooks and crannies. As that material accumulates over time, it can lead to improper biofilm formation on the tongue. 

Now that we've added two more steps to your oral care routine, let's cut one out: mouthwash. Don't worry; not every mouthwash is created equal, and some may be totally fine to use—it's those highly antiseptic formulas you'll want to skip. 

"Most [mouthwashes] kill a portion of the oral microbiome, mostly on the back of the tongue," says Burhenne, and these bacteria are responsible for producing nitric oxide from our food. Nitric oxide, as a refresher, is a molecule that influences immune function, weight, circulation, blood pressure, mood, and more. 

Nevertheless, sometimes mouthwash is medically necessary (like with infections or post-procedure), so follow your dentist's advice first and foremost. But for daily use, consider rinses that don't use alcohol or antiseptic ingredients. 

Burhenne recommends trying mouth tape to prevent saliva loss at night, using a tongue scraper daily, and avoiding antiseptic mouthwash.