Gentle but effective deep tongue cleaning should be an important daily routine. A variety of tongue scrapers have been produced in recent years.  Cleaning the tongue can also be performed by brushing with any toothbrush that minimizes gagging reflex. In order to prevent tongue odor, the tongue should be brushed in a gentle, but thorough manner, keeping in mind that the posterior portion is the area which is the least accessible, yet smells the worst.  Even patients with significant gagging reflex can get used to cleaning the back of their tongue with some practice.

Since bad breath is worse when the mouth dries out (e.g., at night, while fasting), subjects should be encouraged to maintain a good water balance. Chewing gum is also helpful in reducing bad breath during the day, although its use should be restricted to only a few minutes at a time, to avoid temperomandibular joint problems.

Many people continue to have malodor of oral origin, even after carrying out oral hygiene practices. In such instances, rinsing and gargling with an efficacious mouthwash may be helpful. It should be kept in mind, however, that many mouthwashes contain components which may have a non- beneficial effect on soft oral tissues (e.g., alcohol, sodium dodecyl sulfate, strong oxidizing agents). The best time to use a mouthwash is probably before bedtime, since (i) residue of the mouth rinse may remain in the mouth for a longer period of time and have a greater effect; and (ii) bacterial activity leading to bad breath is greatest during the nighttime, when saliva flow is practically zero and microbial activity is highest.