Home remedy for bad breath.
A Fresh Approach to Banishing Bad Breath.

Yes, brushing and flossing your teeth regularly can clean up some of the oral bacteria that commonly cause bad breath. But routine oral hygiene isn't enough to banish a malodorous mouth.
Neither are the mints and mouthwashes that line drugstore and supermarket shelves. At best, they temporarily mask the problem. What's more, the sugar in mints and the alcohol in many mouthwashes make them less than healthy options in the quest for fresh breath.
That's where natural remedies come in-and the best alternative remedy may not even be available at your drugstore (although you can find it at most health food stores). It's a tongue scraper.

TONGUE SCRAPING: A Grate Solution to Bacteria
A lot of odor-producing bacteria (and maybe some smelly, decaying food particles, too) hide out in the nooks and crannies of the papillae, the microscopic, mushroom-shaped stalks that cover the surface of your tongue, says Michael Olmsted, D.D.s., a biocompatible dentist in Del
Mar, California.

"Brushing won't clean those bacteria and particles from your tongue," Dr. Olmsted says. You have to scrape them off, and the best tool for the job is a tongue scraper, a V-shaped, typically metal device that you hold at both ends and gently drag over the length of your tongue.

"Most of the world relies on tongue scraping to keep bad breath in check and has done so for thousands of years," he says. Here's how to join the clean-tongue crowd.

Your goal is to remove the creamy-looking, white, brown, or orange layer of gunk on your tongue. To do that, says Dr. Olmsted, scrape both the top and sides of your tongue (but not the underside) from back to front. Go over the same area more than once if necessary. Start scraping as far back on the tongue as you can without gagging, since the papillae at the rear of the tongue are longest and harbor the most odor-causing bacteria and food. Scrape right after each tooth brushing.

In Ayurveda, the ancient system of natural healing from India, the tongue scraper most recommended to remove odor-causing organisms and particles is made of silver.
"The silver gives off ions that kill bacteria on the tongue," explains
Edward M. Arana, D.D.S., a retired dentist in Carmel Valley, California, and past president of the American Academy of Biological Dentistry. According to Ayurveda, silver also reduces pitta, a body-heating factor that can worsen bad breath.

If silver is too rich for your taste, try copper. According to Ayurveda, a copper scraper cleans your tongue and tones up your tastebuds, helping you to enjoy healthful, natural foods even more. And, says Dr. Arana, natural foods help prevent intestinal problems, which are another common cause of bad breath.

Does a tongue scraper seem like an unnecessary expense? Use a spoon instead, says Dr. Olmsted, and scrape with the edge. Just be sure that the edge isn't sharp, and don't use that spoon for any other purpose.

HOMEOPATHY: Fostering Freshness
If your tongue is very heavily coated, accompany the scraping with the homeopathic remedy Mercurius vivus, says Flora Parsa Stay, DDS., a dentist in Oxnard, California. This remedy alleviates excess salivation, thus limiting the odor-causing coating on the tongue. Take two tablets of the 30X potency a day until symptoms improve, or for 10 days.

CHLOROPHYLL: A Green Alternative
"A variety of digestive problems in the stomach and intestinal tract can cause mouth odor," Dr. Olmsted says. With many of those problems, food isn't being digested properly, and vapors from the undigested food waft into (and out of) your mouth.

Solving digestive problems can be difficult, but that doesn't mean that you have worry about bad breath in the meantime. You can deodorize your digestive tract with chlorophyll, the same chemical that makes leaves green. When you get up in the morning, take three chlorophyll capsules or tablets on an empty stomach, says Dr. Olmsted. Then take three before or after every meal. (Regular intake of chlorophyll has the unusual but harmless side effect of giving your stools a green tint.)

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL: A Natural Breath Sweetener
Another supplement that can clean out your insides and sweeten your breath is activated charcoal, says Dr. Arana. He says to take one capsule a day until the problem is solved. If you don't notice results after 10 days, seek advice from your dentist.

DIGESTIVE ENZVMES: Breaking Down Bad Breath
Another possible cause of poor digestion (and bad breath) is a lack of digestive enzymes, the special chemicals that break down food in your intestines. But you can replace the missing enzymes with an enzyme supplement.

Dr. Olmsted says to look for gelatin capsules that contain the four most important digestive enzymes: protease (for protein), amylase and cellulase (for carbohydrates), and lipase (for fat).
Don't swallow the capsules, though. "Your digestion may not be strong enough to dissolve them," he says. Instead, before each meal, open a capsule, pour the contents into a 4-ounce glass of water, stir it thoroughly, and drink. Follow this regimen until your symptoms improve.

HERBS: Four to Freshen Breath
Ginger, coriander, cumin, and fennel are four common herbs that can deodorize your intestinal tract, says Dr. Olmsted. For maximum effectiveness, he recommends opening one gelatin capsule of each herb, putting the contents in a tablespoon, and taking the spoonful of herbs with a little water after each meal.