Bad breath clears a room faster than a fire alarm. People lean back during conversations. Coworkers offer you gum unprompted. You’re the person others avoid in close quarters.
The good news? This is probably the easiest hygiene problem to fix, assuming you’re willing to put in five minutes a day.
1. Brush After Every Meal
Not just twice daily. After every meal. Yes, that means bringing a toothbrush to work.
Use toothpaste morning and night, water and brush at midday. The goal isn’t minty freshness (though you’ll get that). It’s removing the food particles that bacteria feast on. Those bacteria produce the sulfur compounds that make your breath smell like death.
And brush your tongue. Every time. That’s where most of the smell-causing bacteria camp out. A tongue scraper works better than bristles if you’ve got the budget for one, but a regular toothbrush does the job if you actually use it back there.
Bleeding gums mean you haven’t been brushing enough (or you’re being too aggressive). Steady pressure, not sawing motions.
2. Floss
Floss after every meal too. Yes, it’s annoying. Do it anyway.
Food stuck between teeth rots. That’s what you’re smelling. Get it out before it has time to decompose in your mouth. Keep floss picks in your desk, your car, your bag. Make it impossible to skip.
3. Mouthwash
Get the stuff with actual antiseptic properties (look for cetylpyridinium chloride or chlorhexidine). The minty flavor is nice but it’s the bacteria-killing ingredients that matter.
Swish for 30 seconds minimum, twice daily. Morning and night, after brushing.
If you’ve done all three of these consistently for two weeks and your breath still smells like something died in there, see a dentist. Could be gum disease, could be a digestive issue. But you won’t know until the obvious fixes are ruled out.