Before going to bed, dissolve a pea-sized piece of myrrh in your mouth. Lemon. It removes garlic or onion breath. Suck a wedge of lemon with a pinch of salt. Cloves. Cloves contain natural antiseptic that is effective in treating bad breath. There are 2 ways to use it. Chewing whole cloves is one. The other is making a tea from it. This contains eucalyptol that has the capacity to kill the sulfur-producing bacteria thriving inside the mouth. Coriander is known to be an ingredient for food. However due to its potency for temporarily erasing the traces of bad smell in the mouth, it is also used as mouthwash when boiled with water. As you might have already p[resumed, a healthy and clean tongue is marked with the absence of this materials and can observably show pinkish to reddish surface. This residue from the accumulation of food materials could be good breeding places for certain bacteria that would further aggravate the condition of bad breath. And since tobacco can cause periodontal disease, bad breath is more likely to smokers than the non-smokers. Disease GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernia can cause bad breath. Diabetes can produce bad odor. Several other illnesses can cause bad breath. These include liver failure which can cause a distinctive fishy odor, kidney failure which can give off odor that is urine-like, and chronic lung infection which also produces a bad-smelling breath. This is not to say though that all "fight bad breath" items being sold in infomercial programs are not effective. To be sure, buy items that are ADA approved. Look for ADA seal of approval every time you buy dental products whether it is from infomercials or any grocery store. Breath freshener gums To fight bad breath is to attack the root of the problem. Quit smoking, stop drinking coffee and soda, and avoid foods that can cause you that foul smell such as cabbage, onion, and garlic. Switch to tea. Eat fruits and vegetables that contain natural fiber. Also, you can make your own toothpaste and mouthwash. A mixture of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part salt is an effective alternative for toothpaste.