What Is Causing Your Bad Breath & How To Fight It

What Is Causing Your Bad Breath & How To Fight It

Bad breath, medically known as halitosis, is having a strange and unpleasant smell that comes off while you breathe. Normally people would suffer from bad breath from to time, yet for many, this is an ongoing situation. If you find yourself often having stinky breath, you need to read this article as it covers the most common causes of halitosis and offers possible solutions.

Causes of bad breath

Establishing what is causing your bad breath is half the battle; the following are the common reasons for having bad breath.

1. Food particles left in the oral cavity and not washed away would be dissolved by the bacterium that is normally present inside the mouth, producing Sulphur compounds that have a distinct smell.  
2. Poor oral care methods; improper brushing and flossing can lead to food debris and tartar accumulation, thus with time, this would lead to tooth decay and gum disease, and suffering from poor breath is one of the main consequences. 
3. The byproducts of smoking are one of the main reasons for having strange breath.
4. Certain food and diets can contribute to having a strange odour, such as eating garlic and onion frequently. As well as being on extreme diets such as a high-fat low-carb diet that makes your body produce more ketone bodies that are known for their distinct scent coming from the mouth.
5. Dry mouth, which can occur either due to ageing, suffering from a certain medical condition or as a side effect of taking a medication. A dry mouth would deprive the person of the washing effect that saliva has on food debris in the mouth.
6. Many medical issues are known causes of bad breath, such as chronic acid reflux, which causes stomach acids to flow back to your mouth leading to bad breath.

Possible solutions to treat bad breath 

As a dentist, the following is what I recommend to fight halitosis:

• Practicing proper oral hygiene is the best way to prevent bad mouth odour. By brushing twice daily, flossing regularly and use mouth wash to help keep your mouth as clean as possible. 
• If you suffer from a dry mouth, try to keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water, chewing sugar-free gum or use moistening agents.
• Visit your dentist for regular checkups and ask for your mouth to be professionally cleaned by an oral hygienist. In this way, you would make sure that there is no food debris or any tartar accumulated in your mouth.
• Quit smoking would not only improve your general health but also would reduce the strange smell coming off your mouth. 
• Consuming raw fruits, raw vegetables, probiotic yoghurt and drinking green tea can all have a major impact on improving your halitosis. 
• Although oral causes are mostly responsible for bad breath, systemic diseases can lead to this as well, thus visiting your general practitioner is needed if all the above measures are not working.

About The Author

Dr. Elizabeth Gubernick is an experienced family and general dentist located here in North Phoenix, Arizona at Solterra Dentistry. She has always taken an interest in oral health and questions about bad breath come up very often which is why she did a deep dive into the causes and solutions. Are you ready to visit Dr. Gubernick at Solterra Dentistry? Click here to contact our team today!