Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is a very common temporary condition caused by such things as oral dryness, stress, hunger (ketosis), eating certain foods such as garlic and onions, smoking, or poor oral hygiene.

Many people have bouts of bad breath has explained by the effects of strong smelling food and drink. Bad breath can be a sign of a health problem such as gum disease, tooth decay, or diabetes.

Bad Breath Causes

Almost everything we put into our mouth, particulary food and drink, can make it smell less pleasant. For the majority of people, the most frequent cause of bad breath is associated with bacteria that live in the mouth, particularly on the tongue. This bacteria can build-up as a result of poor oral hygiene and a lack of flossing.

Brush your tongue when you brush your teeth and after meals too. The tongue is like a lint catcher and it has to be cleaned off every so often to get that nice aroma to come through.

Wash the tongue with baking soda dissolved in warm water to reduce the acidity in your mouth making a less-friendly environment for the bacteria to grow.

Parsley, coriander, basil, rosemary, thyme, wintergreen, cardamom seeds, cinnamon bark, clove, fennel or anise seeds are great breath fresheners. Slowly chew any of these herbs and allow the saliva to build up in your mouth.

Chew peppermint or carnation for better breath smell.

This remedy is one of the good home remedy for bad breath using coffee : Grind the fresh beans with few cardamom seeds and make into a reviving cup to be drunk without milk first thing in the morning (but avoid if you also have a hangover). This will help in curing bad breath.

Cloves are a strong antiseptic. Make a tea by putting 3 whole or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves in 2 cups of hot water, and steep for 20 minutes, stirring infrequently. Pour through a well strainer and use as a mouthwash or gargle two times in a day. This is one of the good Home Remedy for Bad Breath.

Use a tongue scraper, which helps to remove dead cells, food particles and bacteria from the tongue. A tongue scaper is a special plastic instrument found in drug stores and some health food stores, that costs several dollars. In Ayurveda, a thick coating on the tongue is called "ama" and is thought to be caused by improper or incomplete digestion. Tongue cleaning with a scaper is recommended as a daily regimen to remove ama. The key is to do it gently and to rinse your mouth thoroughly afterward. If you can't find a tongue scraper, use a toothbrush to clean your tongue

Rinse your mouth before sleeping with a glass of water with the juice of half a lemon added.