To combat bad breath, it is essential to brush your teeth.

noli's read

Tooth brushing is the standard recommendation for oral hygiene, validated by a solid scientific consensus (e.g., reviews in the Cochrane Library). The analysis shows that in the vast majority of cases, bad breath (halitosis) originates from the decomposition of food residues by bacteria present in the oral cavity. Mechanical brushing, combined with cleaning the tongue and interdental spaces, directly reduces the bacterial load responsible for malodorous volatile sulfur compounds. While this advice is perfectly accurate and constitutes the first line of defense, it is sometimes incomplete for certain persistent cases. Indeed, even if oral hygiene is optimal, halitosis can sometimes reveal ENT or digestive causes, which fall outside the scope of simple brushing. There is no exaggeration here; it is a pragmatic and fundamental recommendation supported by observational clinical studies.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.