Do you have any tips on how to keep your breath smelling fresh? If so, please share them with us.

Eat a piece of parsley after a meal.

Thanks WoolDog. The Italians keep a few coffee beans available in their purse or pocket to eat after a meal. Apparently if you eat a coffee bean, it helps to fight the acid in your stomach which can lead to bad breath.

Several dentists have told me that the BEST thing you can do to help eliminate bad breath is to brush your tongue as well as your teeth. It seems that food residue remains on the tongue and is the source of all sorts of stuff that grows, smells, etc. Is this disgusting or what?

If you've never brushed your tongue when you brush your teeth, you'll be surprised (in a disgusting ssort of way) what you come up with, so to speak.

Ummmmm.

Good dental hygiene is definately one of the keys. I've had some periodontal torture treatments this summer and now that my gums are the picture of health, i no longer notice a yucky taste in my mouth or worry about my breath. Even being a smoker...

'Course it never hurts to keep Altoids in your pocketbook!

Great tips everyone! Vendome, I thought that if you brushed your tongue too much it can damage your taste buds. Is there any truth to that or is it just one of those stupid rumors?

Not true, JoJo. Vendome is correct - you should absolutely be gently cleaning your tongue every time you brush. (Even better is a tongue scraper - you can buy these at any store.)

There are products on the market that oxidize the sulfur compounds in the mouth. If you can get some of this, it's well worth the price. And, some come in a gel form. If you put some gel on your tongue scraper and dental floss, this will help greatly.

Postnasal drip is one cause of bad breath. Make sure your sinuses are clear, and you could take care of part of the problem. Some women will notice bad breath due to monthly hormonal changes. Some medications can cause bad breath - including decongestants and antihistimines. There can even be a family history of bad breath - chances are great that, if your parents or siblings have icky breath, you will, too.

One misconception is that you can take a pill to relieve bad breath. This is false, because the majority of bad breath does not originate in the stomach. Very little of it starts here.

Something else to remember - unfortunately, everyone has morning breath! Some may have it longer than just in the morning, but everyone wakes up not smelling sweet. This is because the salivary glands do not produce the amount of saliva while sleeping that they do when you're awake. Everything "stagnates" in there during your snoozing hours!

Ethel's advice was great - proper dental practices are crucial to having good breath. Gotta brush, floss and see that dentist regularly!

Thanks for the info Linda1. I always brush my tongue and I am glad to know that my taste buds will survive over the years. I just couldn't stand the thought of not being about to taste chocolate. Thanks for putting my mind at ease and a special thank you to all of you for providing such excellent tips.

You're a female. The ability to taste chocolate isn't in the taste buds. It's in the soul. Nothing can take that away.

Rinse your mouth out with a baking soda and water solution.(1 tsp.baking soda disolved in 1 ounce warm water).Use like a mouthwash after you brush your teeth.It really works.

I know that baking soda neutralizes and absorbs some odors. I brush my teeth with baking soda after I brush with regular tooth paste. Baking soda really helps to clean the stains off.
Does a good job on refrigerator odors, too.

It's Friday and I am feeling a bit silly, so...

Mahatma Ghandi was a religious and politcal figure. As you know, he went barefoot most of the time, which would really toughen up his feet. He also had sporadic eating habits due to hunger strikes, etc. which often caused him to be terribly thin and have bad breath. So I guess you could call him...............
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..A super callused fragile mystic hexed with halitosis.