a travel size toothbrush and toothpaste

Oral care on the go, when out and about, travelling, and home remedies for bad breath

It helps to know some basic guidelines for keeping your breath as fresh as possible. These guidelines, remedies, and products will help you stop bad breath when you are out of the house at work, in restaurants, at school, or anywhere else.

Have a travel oral care kit

If you care about oral hygiene and fresh breath, it is very important to brush after meals. If you regularly go to school, work, or other activities outside your home, then it helps to bring a toothbrush along. You can keep a small travel-size toothbrush and toothpaste inside your briefcase, purse, or bag. Here are the things you will want to include in your travel oral hygiene kit, in order of importance:

  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Tongue scraper
  • Dental floss
  • Mouthwash
  • Sugar-free gum, mints, strips, etc.

You can either leave this kit at work or bring it along with you each day. I find it is best to leave the kit in your desk or locker, since it will always be there and you won’t need to carry it around all day. After you eat, or whenever you feel your breath might be bad, go into the bathroom and floss, scrape your tongue, brush your teeth, and use mouthwash. If you are worried that people who walk into the bathroom will see you and think you are weird, I’ll have you know that I have done this at work, at school, and even at other people’s homes. Most of the time they don’t even seem to notice, and if they do think you are weird, who cares? When my coworkers first saw me brushing my teeth in the bathroom, they laughed at me in a joking manner, but the next week two of them were right there brushing their teeth with me. It is good that you care about your oral hygiene, and people will appreciate your fresh breath.

Keep your mouth moist

It is important to keep your mouth moist throughout the day. A dry mouth causes bad breath quickly. Here are some ways to keep your mouth moist:

  • Water - Drinking water throughout the day helps keep your mouth moist. If you do not have access to a drinking fountain where you are, then be sure to bring a bottle of water with you. Rinsing your mouth out with water after eating is important too.

  • Oil of Oregano - Oil of oregano is known to be a potent antibacterial oil, and it has a lot of antioxidants as well. It also aids in digestion. Adding one or two drops per liter to your water bottle and sipping it regularly will help keep your breath fresh and your mouth clean.

  • Herbal Tea - Drinking herbal tea such as green tea or peppermint tea will not only moisten your mouth but will also kill some of the germs that cause bad breath and inhibit their growth. Gargling warm herbal tea also helps get rid of bad breath.

Improvised Oral Care

Sometimes you will not have your travel oral care kit with you, or you may find yourself somewhere it would not be appropriate to brush your teeth, such as at a restaurant. At these times, it helps to know the various things you can do to keep your breath fresh. Below we will discuss common household products and items found in restaurants that you can use to ward off bad breath.

  • Salt - Salt is antibacterial because it causes cells to lose moisture, and it is often available in packets at restaurants. Mix a salt packet with warm water and gargle the solution after eating. It leaves your mouth feeling fresher.

  • Baking Soda - Baking soda can be used as a substitute for toothpaste, or it can be mixed with water and used as a mouthwash. It stops bad breath by acting as a natural cleanser, and it also lowers the pH level inside the mouth, which creates an inhospitable environment for the odor-causing bacteria. It works even better when combined with salt.

  • Order water or tea - When at a restaurant, order tea or plain water instead of soda or juice. Not only is it cheaper and healthier, but it is also better for your breath.

  • Chew on this - Here are various herbs and foods that promote fresh breath:

    • Apples
    • Mint leaves
    • Cloves
    • Sunflower seeds
    • Cardamom
    • Ginger
    • Basil
    • Parsley
    • Sugar-free gum, mints, breath strips

  • Lemon - Sucking on a lemon wedge or drinking lemon juice (not lemonade, which contains sugar) will help kill the bacteria in your mouth and remove odors from foods such as garlic or onions.

  • Rub your teeth - If you go a while without brushing, a layer of plaque will begin to coat your teeth, which is not good for your teeth or your breath. What you can do, while in a bathroom, is take a paper towel, a tissue, or — if you are really desperate — your shirt sleeve, and use it to rub each of your teeth. Gently rub the outer surface of your teeth and then the inside surface. When you are done, rinse your mouth out with water. This should leave your teeth feeling smoother and cleaner.

  • Use a Spoon as an Improvised Tongue Scraper - The tongue (especially the rear portion) is home to many anaerobic bacteria that cause bad breath. You can use a spoon to scrape the particles off your tongue. To do this, make sure the bowl of the spoon is facing down and use it as you would a normal tongue scraper.

  • Suck on an Oral Probiotic Mint - Taking oral probiotics in mint form does two things: it increases saliva production, and it encourages the growth of healthy bacteria in the mouth. Both of these reduce bad breath. To learn more, read our Oral Probiotics article.

Hopefully these tips will help you get rid of bad breath while at work, at school, or out and about. If you have any other tips for keeping your breath fresh on the go, please post them below. Thanks!