The strong roast aroma of coffee is what invites most people to enjoy it. The flip side is that it leaves a similar strong breath in your mouth. The rule of thumb here is, if you can taste the coffee then everyone around you can smell it.
It may be uncomfortable especially if you are in public and have to interact closely with others. Have no fear though, we are going to outline working tips on how to get rid of coffee breath.
Firstly, how does coffee cause bad breath?
Reasons Coffee Causes Bad Breath
- The strong flavor in coffee is caused by high levels of sulfur and acid in coffee. This acidity is responsible for bad breath.
- Caffeine causes dehydration and dry mouth which results in bad breath.
- Tannin found in coffee reduces the production of saliva in your mouth. Saliva helps to wash away any bacteria that causes bad breath. If there is less production of saliva, bacteria keeps growing and causes bad coffee breath.
Avoid Coffee Breath
It is possible to get rid of coffee breath without doing away with coffee. Let’s get into the tips:
- Hydrate
Water keeps your mouth wet and helps in the repopulation of saliva. It also helps to clean any food that is leftover and bacteria in between your teeth and gum that would cause bad breath.
- Yogurt
Yogurt replaces bacteria that causes bad breath with good bacteria. Include yogurt in your breakfast to get this healthy advantage.
- Chew gum
Reaching out for chewing gum is clever because you can almost find it in every shopping area. Chewing gum increases saliva production which helps to avoid coffee breath. This is one more reason to always have some chewing gum in your pockets or handbags.
- Avoid sugar
Sugar encourages the bacteria that cause bad breath to multiply since they feed on sugar. Substitute sugar with a more organic option like honey.
- Avoid milk
Milk has sugar that bacteria feed on. Milk is easily leftover in between the teeth and gum and hence makes it easy for bacteria to grow.
- Eat some ginger
Ginger is excellent in aiding digestion and giving fresh breath. Chew on a small piece of ginger after coffee and avoid coffee breath.
- Eat an apple
Apples are odor neutralizing fruits that increase saliva production as you chew on them. Bad odor is effectively neutralized.
- Brush your teeth
Brush your teeth immediately after drinking coffee with kinds of toothpaste that have antibacterial additives like clove oil. This makes sure that you maintain fresh breath for longer periods throughout the day.
- Alternate coffee
There could be times you may not be in a position to counter the effects of coffee breath. You can choose an alternative to coffee that will not cause any embarrassment. Black tea or Herbal tea is a great choice because they control the growth of bacteria causing bad breath.
Summary
Coffee has strong flavors and strong breaths that follow. It is the acids and sulfur it contains that cause the multiplying of bacteria responsible for bad breath. You can reach out for chewing gum, water, and ginger to get rid of coffee breath. You can also eat yogurt as part of your breakfast to replace the bad odor bacteria with the good ones. Brushing your teeth after drinking coffee is a great solution as well to get rid of coffee breath.
Always keep in mind that if you can taste coffee then your breath will give you away. Maintain high oral hygiene always after drinking coffee.