Don’t hold your breath Don’t hold your breath

Don’t hold your breath

Guides & Advice

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Like fruit or the Prince of Bel-Air, your breath is better when it’s fresh.

Fresh breath will make any message you have to convey easier to listen to. It is a crucial component to take into account when you’re handing out good advice to your friends. As it would be unfair to leave you in such a terrible predicament, make the following recommendations a habit, and you will be rid of temporary or permanent bad breath, forever.

How to prevent temporary bad breath?

A few simple habits will keep you from having to hide behind your beard/hand all day.

First step: stay away from certain foods

To prevent temporary bad breath, which might spoil a romantic evening or a speech for your golf club’s 150th anniversary, some foods should be banned from your diet. Garlic, for example. In spite of its multiple culinary qualities, we recommend abstaining from eating any before certain activities. If you’re from the Mediterranean basin and really can’t live without, removing the garlic germ should minimise its effects.

Second step: drink water to stay hydrated

In situations when it’s unfortunately too late, and you’ve eaten something that will stay on your breath (which happens more often than you’d think), water and saliva are your best allies against bad breath. Indeed, a dry mouth will encourage the proliferation of bad odour particles, which will settle in the mouth with no saliva to wash them away. All the more reason to order a large bottle of water with your meal.

In general, a few good habits should suffice to manage the problem. For example, during work presentations remember to hydrate regularly when you’re speaking, so as to not completely put off your colleagues when they come to congratulate you on your stellar work. Some good manners will help too. Never chew too quickly. Not only is it the height of rudeness, but it also limits the activation of your salivary glands.

How to get rid of it if it lasts?

It is often the result of bacteria proliferating in your mouth.

First step: refresh your daily mouth hygiene

Brushing your teeth is obviously essential. Use fresh toothpaste that will give you breath as fresh as if you’d been chewing on mint leaves. Mouthwash will also be a great ally, much like dental floss, which reaches deep between your teeth to clean them perfectly.

If the problem persists: seek professional help

The relation you have with your dentist is as crucial as the one you have with your hairdresser, and it is important to see him regularly. If the friendship he has for you is in no way related to the pain you might have to endure, it is always more pleasant to make your yearly visit special by bringing up past memories. He’s like the friend you only see at Christmas, in your favourite drinking spot, except he would only buy you sugar-free drinks.

Last but not least: on the importance of salivating

Quick reminder: salivating is important to prevent bad breath. To do so, a stylish man might think of the extraordinary taste of the oranges from southern Italy. A more popular approach would be to drink a lot of water. Whichever option you choose, it is crucial, because a hydrated mouth will prevent bad breath more efficiently. It is also said that chewing sugar-free gum activates the salivary glands. You can try this method but keep it a secret. Nobody wants to be seen in public indulging in such an activity.

You’re now ready to spread the good word. Nothing can stop you anymore.