Two couples drinking wine at dinner outdoors

How To Manage Alcohol Breath

Wine with dinner. Beer on game day. Friday-night cocktail with friends. You can do that if you want. After all, you’re over 21 and drink responsibly. What you can’t handle is that alcohol breath smell. It’s a social thing and the last thing you want while being social is to have smelly breath. Why does imbibing even a little make your breath stink? How can you get rid of alcohol breath immediately? Here’s what we can tell you.

How Alcohol Affects Your Breath

Even though it’s a liquid, alcohol causes dehydration and less saliva production. This causes you to have a dry mouth. When your mouth is dry, germs grow. That makes your breath smell bad.

How to Get Rid of the Smell of Alcohol

Ideally, you should have a travel oral care kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss). Good oral care is the optimal way to keep your breath clean and fresh. However, it’s not always feasible to take care of your teeth when you’re out and about. That said, sugar-free mints and gums are excellent go-tos for freshening up alcohol breath.

Also, did you know that drinking more water can be enough to alleviate bad breath? It’s true. That’s because having a dry mouth creates a haven for germs, which in turn causes odour. There’s no saliva to wash them away. Alcohol has a diuretic effect, so drinking water while drinking alcohol can help you stay hydrated.

Additionally, water washes away left-behind particles. Increasing your water intake is good for both your breath and your overall health.

It’s important to remember that covering up or masking the smell of alcohol does not cover up the effect it can have on your brain and body. You may have minty breath, but your minty breath won’t make you drive well or pass a sobriety test. Only time can get the alcohol out of your system. Please drink responsibly.

You may notice that you have bad breath after drinking alcohol. Having bad breath can put a damper on your social confidence. Having an oral care kit or sugar-free mints or gum on hand can help. Drinking water is a must. And so is drinking alcohol responsibly.

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