There are a huge variety of home remedies available that are proven to successfully treat bad breath.  But, there is one common bad breath remedy that must be considered first over anything else; comprehensive oral hygiene.

Getting rid of microbes on the teeth, on the tongue and in the gum lines should be the main elements of our daily oral hygiene and a wonderful bad breath remedy.  This can be achieved by brushing our teeth, at a minimum, two to three times a day – everyday.  You should also supplement brushing by scraping the tongue too.  The tongue is the area where most of the smell is generated, due to the fact that bacteria can thrive on the surface of the tongue.  Scraping the tongue is something that the majority of people don’t do as part of their oral cleaning routine.  And this should mean starting at the very back of the tongue and working forward to complete a thorough cleaning.  There are special scrapers made for this very purpose and usually readily available in most pharmacies.  You even simply use your toothbrush.  So scrape or brush your tongue thoroughly from the back to the front, in adding to brushing your teeth.  Adding a little light pressure but not too much as this could irritate your tongue.

In addition to the above, using floss also plays an important role as a bad breath remedy.  Flossing really helps remove small fragments of food that get wedged between the teeth and in the gums, generally in areas that a toothbrush just can’t reach.  When food particles gather in the mouth they tend to collect bacteria which in turn can cause mouth odor.  It is always advised to floss prior to brushing.  Flossing has the effect of loosening said food particles which brushing then fully removes.

Another great bad breath remedy, and an additional part of oral hygiene that should be included each time we brush, is flushing with a good mouth rinse.  Antibacterial mouthwash, particularly the types that contain elements that neutralize smells are really effective in managing bad breath odors.  Mouthwash reduces the quantity of bacteria, in the oral cavity, that is responsible for foul breath. This works great as a bad breath remedy on difficult to reach places like the back of the tongue and the creases in the tongue.

A regular visit to your dental practitioner should also be an integral part of your oral hygiene regime, play a big part in the general health of your mouth and an important aspect of any permanent bad breath remedy.  The American Dental Association recommends that you see your dentist at least every six months.  During these appointments, your dentist gets the opportunity to examine your teeth for decay and also assess the health of your gums. They will also get the chance to check for signs of diabetes, vitamin deficiencies or oral cancer.  In addition to this your teeth will be given a thorough cleaning.  Plaque and tartar can develop in a very short space of time if the above mentioned mouth hygiene activities are not carried out daily between your visits to your dentist, but if you can stay with it and be disciplined about this, the cleaning by the dentist will be very effective in removal of these nasty bacterial microbes.  Plus, make sure you fully understand that your dentist visits are an important element in your overall health.  These days, dentists will also take time to look at your head and neck as well, checking your face, your neck, your lymph nodes and also the movement of your lower jaw joints.

So, the easiest first step as a bad breath remedy, which will usually produce good results, is to simply keep up (or get started) with a comprehensive oral hygiene routine.