Coffee breath is a distinct phenomenon that most all of us have experienced at some time in our lives. For some of us, our earliest memory of experiencing coffee breath is our teacher leaning close over our desk and we, not listening to a word he or she is saying because we are blown away by the odor of coffee breath. We always notice when someone else has it but are probably unaware when we ourselves are the offending party.

What causes bad breath in general? Bad Breath, clinically know as Halitosis, can be caused by a number of things including strong food and drinks, poor dental hygiene, disease, dry mouth and dieting.

So what can we do about it? Give up our favorite drink? Heavens no! There are times when bad breath is unavoidable, but let’s focus on the things we can do to control the occurrence or severity of it.

First off, we must begin with good dental hygiene in general. Here are some generally accepted dental practices that will assist in keeping your mouth fresh whether you drink coffee or not.

-Brush 2-3 times daily.
-Use toothpaste that controls plaque and tartar
-Floss regularly
-See your dentist twice yearly for a cleaning
-Drink plenty of water

Most often when we drink coffee, it’s not a convenient time to brush. So how do we make sure we are remembered for our winning personalities and gorgeous smiles and not for our atrocious coffee breath? Here are a few tips:

-Rinse your mouth with water if you can’t brush
-Keep sugarless gum and/or candy handy-preferably the strong minty flavors
-Use a dissolving strip like the Listerine pocket packs
-Avoid close contact with others immediately after your morning cup of java

Coffee breath is so common that Starbucks has come out with their own line of After Coffee breath freshening candies and gum in flavors like peppermint, cinnamon, vanilla and spearmint. How convenient is that?

So the next time you reach for your favorite cup of java be sure to have your breath freshening strategy ready. You will be able to drink with confidence.