How to keep your breath fresh:
A daily regime of brushing, flossing, gargling and tongue cleaning should come to you as naturally as taking a daily shower. Brushing without flossing is like washing only 70 per cent of your body
Choose a mouthwash of the non-alcohol variety. Alcohol dries the mouth, creating the perfect environment for foul-smelling bacteria to proliferate.
Use a tongue scraper rather than a toothbrush. Ask your dental hygienist to demonstrate how to use it. Brushing just moves the bacteria around, said Philip Newsome, a professor with the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Hong Kong. 'It's like trying to remove jam from a shag-pile carpet with a brush.'
Chew sugarless gum and use breath-freshening strips if you want to freshen up after a meal or later in the day. Chewing stimulates saliva flow - the body's natural mouth cleaner. But do not rely on gum and strips if you have a genuine problem. These will only mask the problem temporarily.
Get your teeth cleaned and checked by a professional regularly - once a year at least.