- Building a Support System for Quitting Smoking - December 23, 2023
- Best Candy For Quitting Smoking - April 3, 2023
- Best Paint To Cover Cigarette Smoke - April 3, 2023
Smoking a cigarette can emit thousands of chemicals into your body, many of which are cancerous and incredibly dangerous to your health.
If you’re a regular smoker, you’ll be all too aware that one of these problematic health issues is bad breath.
With this in mind, our guide will take a closer look at five of the most effective methods you can use to effectively remove the smell of smoke from your breath. We’ll also look to answer a number of the frequently asked questions.
1. Keep Hydrated
The first method we’ll look to explain is the importance of staying hydrated. This is because saliva plays a key role in the overall hygiene of your mouth, constantly flushing out the food and other particles which tend to stick to your teeth and gums.
For this reason, drinking a sufficient amount of water throughout the day is essential if you want to reduce the number of particles that remain stuck in your mouth, potentially causing bad breath.
If you feel like you often have a lack of saliva in your mouth, there’s every chance that you’re suffering from dry mouth.
Not only does dry mouth cause bad breath, it can also result in a burning sensation in the back of your throat, a constant sore throat, and difficulty swallowing.
Failure to treat a lack of saliva and dry mouth can lead to tooth decay. So, if you fear that you have dry mouth, it’s a good idea to see a dentist as they should be able to provide you with suitable methods of retaining the moisture in your mouth.
2. Thorough And Regular Teeth Brushing
All tobacco products are pretty much guaranteed to cause bad breath (also known as halitosis). What’s more, smoking cigarettes can often lead to a number of other oral health problems.
To give yourself the best chance of avoiding smokers’ breath, it’s important to maintain high levels of oral hygiene. This means cleaning your teeth on a regular basis – ideally twice a day. It’s also helpful to frequently floss and rinse your mouth out with mouthwash.
It’s worth noting there are specially-designed toothpastes available to buy for people who smoke. While these tend to be a little more abrasive than ordinary toothpastes, they’re a good option if you want to reduce the risk of staining as a result of tobacco use.
3. Chew Sugarless Gum
If you’re out and about, and unable to clean your teeth properly, a good alternative is to chew sugarless gum for around five minutes.
While this is nowhere near as effective as a thorough brushing, it can still encourage your mouth to produce a greater amount of saliva which helps to remove odor-causing particles from your teeth and gums.
Just make sure that the gum you choose is sugarless. This is because the harmful and odor-inducing bacteria in your mouth would use the extra sugar to produce acid. Furthermore, excess acid in your mouth doesn’t just cause bad breath, it can also wear down your teeth.
4. Treat All Dental Issues
Dental issues such as gum disease can cause your gums to slightly pull away from your teeth, leaving a deep pocket for odor-inducing bacteria to accumulate.
A dentist should be able to identify and diagnose most underlying dental issues, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for any problematic symptoms such as the following:
- Tender or bleeding gums
- Loose teeth
- Swollen gums
- Painful chewing
- Sensitive teeth
The early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis. This can be treated relatively easily with regular dental cleanings, as well as daily brushing and flossing.
If you develop gum disease and require treatment, the best way to make a full recovery and give your gums the best chance of healing is to completely quit smoking.
5. Stop Smoking Altogether
Needless to say, the most effective way to get rid of smokers’ breath is to stop smoking altogether. Not only do cigarettes and tobacco-related products lead to bad breath, they can also place you at risk of a number of problematic health issues.
For example, it’s been proven that people who use tobacco have a higher risk of suffering from gum disease, and this can often contribute to bad breath.
Smoking also has the potential to significantly impair your sense of smell, meaning that you might not always be aware of how badly your breath may smell to others.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Actually Causes Cigarette Breath?
Smokers’ breath is caused by the harmful particles that make up the smoke, which attach themselves to your teeth, as well as all the soft tissues in your mouth. As a general rule, the longer these particles are allowed to remain in your mouth, the greater amount of bacteria they produce (and the stronger the smell of smoke is).
How Can You Remove The Smell Of Cigarette Smoke From Your Skin?
There are a number of effective ways you can remove the smell of cigarette smoke from your skin. Listed below are four of the most popular.
- Holding a cigarette can often make your fingers smell, so the best way of avoiding this is to immediately wash your hands after smoking
- Cleansing your face with facial cleanser pads after smoking helps to eliminate cigarette smoke residue
- Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer on all areas of exposed skin can remove some of the odor
- Covering your skin up as much as possible helps to keep the scent of smoke off your skin
How Can I Smoke A Cigarette Indoors Without It Smelling?
There are lots of different things you can do to prevent the smell of smoke spreading when having a cigarette indoors. The most obvious thing to do is to open all the windows, while other considerations such as tucking a wet towel under your door and using a candle or air freshener can also limit the smell.
How Can You Remove The Smell Of Cigarette Smoke From Your Clothing?
Even if you mainly smoke outside, there’s every chance you’ll bring some of the smell back inside with you if you don’t immediately remove it from your clothes. Listed below are some of the most effective methods of removing the smell of smoke from your clothes.
- Machine wash or hand-wash your clothes with regular detergent as well as a cup of baking soda
- Rub a dryer sheet on each of your garments
- Use an essential oil spray to mask the odor
- Try a deodorizing spray
The Bottom Line
To conclude, getting rid of smokers’ breath isn’t something that can be achieved overnight. It all starts with good oral hygiene, while staying hydrated and keeping a close eye on any dental issues are just as important.
Hopefully, with all this information in mind, you’ll be in a much better place to tackle the problem. Good luck!
