We all know that smoking is bad for us, but for some reason there are still millions of Americans that continue to have this bad habit. From all-around health issues to less serious conditions like bad breath, smoking is harsh to your body. It's no coincidence that there is a term called smokers breath, because the chemicals in cigarettes linger in the mouth and lungs for hours - yes, hours! While kicking the habit in general is the best solution, here are a few other ways to get rid of bad smokers breath.
Tobacco products wreck havoc on your mouth. Smoking for an extended period of time can lead to gum disease because the chemicals cause the gums to become unattached to the teeth. Smoking interferes with the normal functions of the gum tissue cells, which would hinder healing of any wounds in the mouth.
Halitosis is due in many ways to smoking. First, it causes your mouth to dry out, which immediately leads to bad breath. Saliva acts as a natural rinse in your mouth, and if there is no saliva to wash down the cigarette smell, guess where it stays? Try to drink a glass of water after each cigarette to wash down the scent.
Lung breath
As you're breathing in smoke, it goes into the lungs - this is the biggest culprit of smokers breath. No matter how many times you brush your teeth or use mouthwash, you're not cleaning your lungs. The smell gets trapped and when you exhale - out comes the bad breath. People who spend years of their life smoking will have quite a difficult time getting rid of bad breath from smoking because those years of tobacco products have created a tar build up in the lungs. Doesn't that just make your chest hurt thinking about it?
Cigars and bad breath
You think cigarettes cause halitosis? Cigars are even worse. Smoking a full-flavored cigar after dinner or during the evening is common for many people, but this smell lingers for a long time even after you've put your stogie out. To immediately reverse bad breath from cigars, you may want to invest in some mouthwash suited for cigars, such as TheraBreath. These products can help alleviate the aftertaste, as well as the amount of tar that is left on your teeth. Choosing an oxygen rich, alcohol free mouthwash will help clean out the mouth of stinky cigar smell without being too harsh on the gums and teeth.
Do you ever feel like you still have cigar breath in the morning? That's actually fairly common for cigar smokers, especially if you don't eat anything between the cigar and bedtime. You may want to consider sipping on some strong, plain tea with your cigar to reduce the potent aftertaste. This also cleanses your palate. Planning time to smoke your cigar earlier in the day, like before a meal will also help you wake up with fresher breath.
Let's face it, our mouths are the gateway of our health and smoking does leave some undesirable aftermath. If you're a long-time smoker, you may want to invest in a teeth whitening product that is sensitive to the enamel, but works hard to get rid of yellow stains. Having yellow teeth from smoking will make you look much older than you are, and who wants that? To temporarily get rid of smokers breath, it's important to make sure that you are brushing your teeth, using mouthwash and flossing regularly. This will keep the mouth clean so there's no added bacteria in the mouth creating stinky breath in addition to the smell that comes out of the lungs.