Causes and Remedies for Bad Breath

Posted by Ronald Wagner on Dec 20, 2011 in Blog | Comments Off

 

Bad BreathTaking care of ourselves is one of the most important things that we can do. While we may not realize it, we still fall short or become lazy in some areas that concern it. One of these areas is our mouths. Many of us take pretty good care of our teeth by brushing them every day, but fail to take care of the rest of our mouths. As a result it can manifest itself as bad breath (known as halitosis). Bad breath isn’t just caused by eating too much garlic at lunch or forgetting to use some mouthwash before heading out; it can be a sign of fundamental errors in the way we take care of our mouths.

Causes and Remedies

1. One obvious cause of bad breath is simply: food. The things that we eat leave remains in our mouths and can smell poor. Onions and garlic come to mind for most people. The reason that these smell so strong is that the enzymes in our mouths can’t break down the aromatic compounds and so the stinky garlic or onion smell persists until you swallow all of the remaining chemicals. An easy remedy for this is brushing your teeth and rinsing very well or simply not eating these foods at all. For simple bad breath not caused by food (maybe you haven’t brushed your teeth in a few hours) try a glass of water or a slice of bread.

2. Other causes of bad breath can be a little more serious. Many people brush their teeth but neglect to floss. By not flossing you do not clean the spaces between your teeth as well as your gums. These areas act just like your teeth and contain bacteria and plaque that needs to be removed. Flossing will remove this and can help reduce bad breath. Your tongue falls into this category as well. Brushing your tongue or using a tongue scraper will help keep it clean and reduce bad breath.

3. Another cause of bad breath is oral infection or colonization by harmful bacteria, especially on our tonsils or other areas of our mouths. If you brush your teeth, floss, use mouthwash, and don’t eat stinky foods and still seem to have poor breath it is imperative you see a dentist or doctor immediately as this can be a sign of a serious condition.

Being aware of what causes bad breath can help you prevent it. Many people over react to their breath because they perceive that others can sense it as much as they can, but in reality many people can’t even notice. Chew a piece of sugarless cinnamon gum after meals or brush your teeth, keep your tongue clean, and use a healthy mouthwash and general bad breath (halitosis) should easily be avoided.