- Dr Shaadi Manouchehri gave three pieces of key advice to her TikTok followers
- The Londoner admitted that we can all fall victim to a spate of bad breath
- Her key tips explained that brushing alone is not enough to fight it off
23 March 2024
A dentist claims she has three pieces of ‘life changing advice’ to help get rid of bad breath.
Dr Shaadi Manouchehri, of Marylebone’s Smart Dental & Aesthetics, told over 10 million viewers on TikTok that we all have bad breath at times but people might not tell you as they ‘love you to much and don’t want to embarrass you’.
Bad breath can be caused by a surprisingly large number of things, including many which have little or nothing to do with how well you are brushing your pearly whites.
The dentist began: ‘There is no shame, no embarrassment, in having stinky breath. We all have it at some point or another in our lives and this is what you need to do.’
Dr Shaadi Manouchehri (pictured), of London’s Smart Dental & Aesthetics, gave three pieces of key advice on how to help with bad breath beyond brushing alone
She did emphasise, however, that these tips had to be adhered to alongside regular tooth-brushing, rather than in place of it.
The dentist began: ‘There is no shame, no embarrassment, in having stinky breath. We all have it at some point or another in our lives and this is what you need to do’
Her first, and ‘most important’ advice was to clean your tongue. She added that scrapers – such as above – are more effective for this than a toothbrush
‘Cleaning your tongue is the most important thing you can do,’ Dr Manouchehri began.
‘The bacteria that cause bad breath sit on our tongue and if you look at your tongue right now it’s probably coated in some white stuff if you haven’t been brushing it.’
She added that a toothbrush is not ideal for this job, with a metal horseshoe-shaped tongue scraper preferable.
A 2004 study published in an American Academy of Periodontology journal suggests that this method is 30 per cent more effective than using a toothbrush on the tongue. READ MORE: When bad breath is a sign you need to see a doctor.
The second key piece of advice was to stay hydrated.
Dr Manouchehri explained that when you are dehydrated, sulphur compounds form in the mouth and cause your breath to smell ‘really bad’.
Things which dehydrate you such as drinking tea or coffee or smoking, can all indirectly lad to bad breath if you do not counterbalance them with drinking more water.
She added: ‘It’s not just drinking water that’s important, it’s also sipping on water throughout the day to keep your mouth lubricated and stimulate suliva – which is going to help improve the freshness of the breath.’
Last on the list of tips was flossing.
Concerningly, she explained that brushing without flossing ‘can actually be pushing food between the contacts of the teeth’.
Dr Manouchehri encouraged flossing – or using an interdental brush – once, ideally twice, each day.
-agency
