{"id":146,"date":"2025-12-03T11:24:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T11:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/?p=146"},"modified":"2025-12-03T23:24:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T23:24:44","slug":"keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If you’re spoken for this season (or plan to be), you’ll want to prepare for sprigs of mistletoe soon. These plants can show up at holiday parties and lead to unexpected kisses! For such smooches to go smoothly, your mouth must be fresh and devoid of bad breath. You don\u2019t need to panic over this situation, though; your Auburn dentist<\/a> can help you get ready. To that end, here\u2019s a primer on how to keep your mouth fresh for your upcoming mistletoe moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to Tell When You Have Bad Breath<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As you\u2019d expect, you should first determine whether you have bad breath. The simplest way to do so is the sniff test, which can take three effective forms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. After licking the back of your hand, smell the licked area once the saliva dries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Thoroughly floss your backmost teeth and then smell the string.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Use a scraper to scrape your tongue. Afterward, smell the dried scraper.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If you detect a foul odor through these methods, it\u2019s certain that you have bad breath. Still, don\u2019t take them as foolproof; you might sense nothing even when your mouth is smelly. You should ask a close friend or relative to further confirm your breath\u2019s status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3 Ways to Freshen Your Breath<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Should you suffer from bad breath, there are several things you can do to \u201cfreshen up.\u201d These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Scrape or Brush Your Tongue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Smelly plaque doesn\u2019t just gather on teeth and gums; it can cling to any oral surface. Given that fact, brush your tongue to remove bacteria that build up in the folds. You can do so with either a soft-bristled toothbrush or a dedicated tongue scraper, which can be found at most drugstores. Such tools will help your tongue \u2013 and by extension your whole mouth \u2013 smell much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Use an Oral\/Mouth Rinse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you want to take a thorough approach to bad breath, try rinsing with mouthwash. A good, fluoridated brand will freshen your mouth, kill lingering plaque, and elevate your saliva levels. Just note that it may not work well for odors that stem from dental issues. (In that case, mouthwash will only temporarily mask the smell.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Take Some Mints<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Mouths often get smelly when dry, so another idea is to keep and take some sugar-free mints. These small sweets keep bad smells under control and wash away lingering food debris. If your dry mouth stems from medication, though, make sure to consult your dentist. They can prescribe an over-the-counter solution that stimulates saliva production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When your mouth is fresh, it\u2019s ready and well-equipped for kisses under mistletoe. Remember that fact over the coming days and use the tips above!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Auburn Dental Smiles<\/a> is based in Auburn, WA. Led by Drs. Navdeep<\/a>, Manpreet<\/a>, and Patel<\/a>, our practice offers comprehensive dentistry you can truly trust. We always tailor your treatment to your smile, whether you\u2019re getting preventive, cosmetic, or even restorative care. This approach ensures you end each appointment with a thriving grin! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website<\/a> or by phone at (253)-833-2290<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you’re spoken for this season (or plan to be), you’ll want to prepare for sprigs of mistletoe soon. These plants can show up at holiday parties and lead to unexpected kisses! For such smooches to go smoothly, your mouth must be fresh and devoid of bad breath. You don\u2019t need to panic over this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nKeeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments - Auburn Dental Smiles Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you plan to kiss under the mistletoe this season, you\u2019ll need to keep your mouth fresh. Read on to learn three great ways to do so!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Keeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments - Auburn Dental Smiles Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you plan to kiss under the mistletoe this season, you\u2019ll need to keep your mouth fresh. Read on to learn three great ways to do so!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Auburn Dental Smiles Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-03T11:24:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-03T23:24:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_127835324__1764799902_52137.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"auburndental\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"auburndental\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"auburndental\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4b855d0dfef12a00d05143fa349a02fc\"},\"headline\":\"Keeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-03T11:24:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-03T23:24:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/\"},\"wordCount\":534,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_127835324__1764799902_52137.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/\",\"name\":\"Keeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments - Auburn Dental Smiles Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_127835324__1764799902_52137.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-03T11:24:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-03T23:24:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4b855d0dfef12a00d05143fa349a02fc\"},\"description\":\"If you plan to kiss under the mistletoe this season, you\u2019ll need to keep your mouth fresh. Read on to learn three great ways to do so!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_127835324__1764799902_52137.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_127835324__1764799902_52137.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":576},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Keeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Auburn Dental Smiles Blog\",\"description\":\"Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4b855d0dfef12a00d05143fa349a02fc\",\"name\":\"auburndental\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae1dfe2c7b583184f4708d20835d5c5302a3c94b8506f84d43932c027b7c14e2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae1dfe2c7b583184f4708d20835d5c5302a3c94b8506f84d43932c027b7c14e2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae1dfe2c7b583184f4708d20835d5c5302a3c94b8506f84d43932c027b7c14e2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"auburndental\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/author\/auburndental\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Keeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments - Auburn Dental Smiles Blog","description":"If you plan to kiss under the mistletoe this season, you\u2019ll need to keep your mouth fresh. Read on to learn three great ways to do so!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Keeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments - Auburn Dental Smiles Blog","og_description":"If you plan to kiss under the mistletoe this season, you\u2019ll need to keep your mouth fresh. Read on to learn three great ways to do so!","og_url":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/","og_site_name":"Auburn Dental Smiles Blog","article_published_time":"2025-12-03T11:24:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-03T23:24:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":576,"url":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_127835324__1764799902_52137.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"auburndental","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"auburndental","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/"},"author":{"name":"auburndental","@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4b855d0dfef12a00d05143fa349a02fc"},"headline":"Keeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments","datePublished":"2025-12-03T11:24:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-03T23:24:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/"},"wordCount":534,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_127835324__1764799902_52137.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/","url":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/","name":"Keeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments - Auburn Dental Smiles Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_127835324__1764799902_52137.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-03T11:24:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-03T23:24:44+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4b855d0dfef12a00d05143fa349a02fc"},"description":"If you plan to kiss under the mistletoe this season, you\u2019ll need to keep your mouth fresh. Read on to learn three great ways to do so!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_127835324__1764799902_52137.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_127835324__1764799902_52137.jpg","width":800,"height":576},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/03\/keeping-your-mouth-fresh-for-mistletoe-moments\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Keeping Your Mouth Fresh for Mistletoe Moments"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/","name":"Auburn Dental Smiles Blog","description":"Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4b855d0dfef12a00d05143fa349a02fc","name":"auburndental","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae1dfe2c7b583184f4708d20835d5c5302a3c94b8506f84d43932c027b7c14e2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae1dfe2c7b583184f4708d20835d5c5302a3c94b8506f84d43932c027b7c14e2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ae1dfe2c7b583184f4708d20835d5c5302a3c94b8506f84d43932c027b7c14e2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"auburndental"},"url":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/author\/auburndental\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149,"href":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146\/revisions\/149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auburndentalsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}