Fresh breath and teeth: a simple routine before a date

For fresh breath, brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth once a day, clean your tongue, and drink water. The NHS says bad breath is very common, and that the best way of making sure you don't have it is to keep your teeth, tongue and mouth clean. If it doesn't go away after a few weeks of doing that, see a dentist. This is general information, not medical advice.

Mints and gum cover breath for a short time. The routine below is aimed at the usual causes, and the day-of steps cover the gaps.

Why breath goes bad

The American Dental Association's MouthHealthy site says hundreds of types of breath-causing bacteria live in your mouth, and it also names dry mouth, gum disease, food, smoking and some medical conditions. The NHS lists strong-smelling or spicy food and drink, problems with teeth or gums such as gum disease, holes in teeth or infection, fasting or crash dieting, smoking, and some medical conditions including dry mouth, tonsillitis and acid reflux.

One way to think about it: food and drink can cause a temporary smell, while the bacteria in your mouth are always there. The routine targets the bacteria, and the day-of tactics deal with food.

One more thing: it's hard to judge your own breath, and noses tend to adapt to smells they live with. Asking someone you trust is a simple check. That's advice, not a finding from these sources.

The daily routine

This is what the NHS and ADA pages describe.

1. Brush twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste. The NHS says to brush your teeth and gums, and the ADA News tip list says twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste. MouthHealthy mentions twice a day only.
2. Clean between your teeth once a day. The NHS says at least once a day. MouthHealthy says to clean between your teeth once a day to remove the bacteria behind bad breath. Floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser all count, so pick the one you'll use.
3. Clean your tongue once a day. The NHS says to use a tongue scraper or cleaner, and ADA News says to use a toothbrush or tongue scraper. The NHS also says not to brush so hard that your gums or tongue bleed.
4. Drink water to keep saliva flowing. ADA News says staying hydrated can boost saliva production, and lists whole fruits and vegetables too.
5. Don't smoke. Both the NHS and ADA News list it.
6. Keep up with dental visits. MouthHealthy says regular checkups let your dentist detect problems such as gum disease or dry mouth.

The NHS also says to limit alcohol and cut down on sugary food and drink.

Mouthwash, gum and mints

The NHS says you can try an antibacterial mouthwash or toothpaste, and that sugar-free mints or gum after strong-smelling food or drink can help. MouthHealthy lists chewing sugar-free gum as an option to stimulate saliva, and ADA News includes mouthwash to help control plaque.

Mints and gum are cover-ups. They're useful, and they're not a fix if there's a cause underneath. Choose sugar-free, and spit the gum out before you start talking to someone.

The day of the date

• Brush and floss after your last meal, if you can, so the clean mouth lasts into the date. Do your tongue too. (General advice, not from the sources.)
• Strong food. The NHS lists strong-smelling and spicy food as a cause. If the plan is a dinner date, order what you like and bring a sugar-free mint or gum for after. Don't skip a meal to avoid it, since the NHS also lists fasting and crash dieting as a cause.
• Drink water through the evening. Dry mouth is on both the NHS and MouthHealthy lists of causes, and water helps keep saliva flowing.
• Pocket kit: sugar-free mints or gum, and a small travel toothbrush if you're out late. The grooming checklist has the full list.

Teeth, not only breath

Clean teeth show when you smile, and there's more on that in how to smile naturally. Whitening and straightening are cosmetic choices to discuss with a dentist, and they aren't required. If it's been a while since your last visit, a check-up is a sensible first step before anything cosmetic. If the dentist makes you nervous, tell them at the start.

When to see a dentist

The NHS says to see a dentist if you have:

• bad breath that doesn't go away after treating it yourself for a few weeks,
• painful, bleeding or swollen gums,
• toothache or wobbly adult teeth, or
• problems with your dentures.

MouthHealthy adds that persistent bad breath or taste can be a warning sign of advanced gum disease.

Common mistakes

• Using mouthwash instead of brushing. The NHS and ADA News lists put brushing, cleaning between teeth and cleaning the tongue first, and mouthwash as an extra.
• Skipping the tongue. The NHS and ADA News both list cleaning it.
• Brushing hard. The NHS says not to brush so hard that your gums or tongue bleed.
• Sugary mints. The NHS says sugar-free.
• Relying on a cupped-hand breath check. None of the sources above mentions it, and it's hard to judge your own breath, so asking a trusted friend is the simpler check.

What to do next

1. Tonight: brush for two minutes, clean between your teeth, and scrape or brush your tongue.
2. Tomorrow: do the same morning and night, and keep a water bottle on your desk.
3. Put sugar-free mints or gum in the pocket you use for your keys.
4. On date day: brush, floss and clean your tongue after your last meal, and bring the mints.
5. Book a dentist visit if it's been over a year, or sooner if you have bleeding gums, pain, or breath that stays bad after a few weeks of this.
6. Ask a friend to tell you honestly once.

For the first few minutes of the date itself, see first date nerves.

Sources

• NHS: Bad breath (opened in full)
• American Dental Association, MouthHealthy: Bad breath (opened in full)
• ADA News: 8 tips for eliminating bad breath (opened in full; an undated tip list credited to ADA Huddles that attributes its advice to unnamed "experts," so it's weaker than the other two; it lists nine tips under an "8 tips" headline)

The Mayo Clinic page wasn't accessible when this was written, so it isn't cited.