You’re used to it. That fresh, minty taste of toothpaste gives you a kick when you wake up in the morning. Really, you can’t imagine living without it. Well, there’s no reason why you should — just add a little something extra to that toothbrush, and you might find you’ve kissed bad breath goodbye.

Salt of the Earth
It’s hard to believe that something as simple as a little salt and pepper on your toothbrush could go such a long way when it comes to preventing bad breath. But it’s true. Pepper is a strong antibacterial agent, and so is salt. Furthermore, a little salt around the base of the gum serves to tighten up the tissue. This discourages the bacteria that usually gather in pockets at the base of the teeth, leading to gum disease. So take those salt and pepper shakers off the dining room table and bring them into your bathroom.

For an even better solution, take your cue from the director of the Environmental Dental Association. He suggests combining equal measures of salt and baking soda (granted — yuck). Brush your teeth with this rather challenging dentifrice, first dipping your brush in a solution that’s half water, half food-grade hydrogen peroxide. Plunge it into your special powder and scrub away. Sure, the taste might make you cringe, but your new fresh breath will make you smile.

Taming the Tongue
What can also make an enormous difference in some people’s bad breath, and even eliminate it, as cleaning their tongue each day — sometimes twice. A lot of research into oral hygiene has identified the tongue (and particularly an odiferous patch at the back) as one of the main contributors to bad breath. So get yourself a quality tongue scraper — no, don’t try to use your toothbrush — and get to work.

Start by brushing from the back of your throat and sweeping forward, toward your lips. Press firmly, without scraping too hard. What you’re looking for your scraper to do is remove the gooey substance from the back of your tongue. Many people find a copper scraper works best for this; it’s flexible, yet firm and durable.

Liquid Mint
Mouth washes can also provide a temporary solution, as long as you steer clear of the alcohol-containing kind, which can actually worsen bad breath.
One approach that may help you and won’t harm your breath is to make an herbal infusion at home, pouring hot water over fresh, crushed mint leaves, or combining hot water with a dash of peppermint oil. Or just heat yourself up a big mug of green tea, which has been shown to work powerfully as an antibacterial agent.

Easy Does It
Keep up with your toothbrushing, tongue scraping routine and you’re on your way to fresher breath. Just remember, when you brush your teeth, use a relatively soft brush and angle it slightly to better sweep out the food between the teeth and gums. Don’t forget to floss, also. If you don’t floss, you’re almost guaranteed to have slowly rotting food in the crevices between your teeth. Nice, huh?

Are these approaches too simple? But who says that bad breath has to be complicated? For some people, the cause of their bad breath is complicated, and improved oral hygiene won’t help. But for many others, all it takes is a few extra efforts to keep things clean around the mouth and tongue, and you’ll be smelling like a spring breeze whenever you open your mouth.