Bad breath happens to most people at some point: on a date, at a job interview, or talking with friends. According to the American Dental Association, half of all adults have had bad breath, or halitosis, at some time in their lives.
What causes it?
Many causes are harmless, but bad breath can sometimes be a sign of something more serious.
Bacteria
Hundreds of kinds of bacteria that cause bad breath live naturally in your mouth, and your mouth is warm and damp enough for them to grow. When you eat, they feed on the food left behind and leave a foul-smelling waste product.
Dry mouth
Saliva washes your mouth out around the clock. If you don’t make enough, your mouth isn’t cleaned as well as it should be. Dry mouth can come from some medicines, from salivary gland problems, or simply from breathing through your mouth.
Gum disease
Bad breath that won’t go away, or a constant bad taste in your mouth, can be a warning sign of advanced gum disease. Gum disease is caused by plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that also causes cavities.
Food
Garlic, onions, coffee. The list is long, and what you eat affects the air you breathe out.
Smoking and tobacco
Smoking stains your teeth, gives you bad breath and puts you at risk of many health problems. Tobacco dulls your sense of taste and irritates your gums, and tobacco users are more likely to get gum disease. Smoking also dulls your sense of smell, so smokers may not notice how their breath smells.
Medical conditions
Mouth infections can cause bad breath. If your dentist has ruled out other causes and you brush and floss every day, bad breath may come from another problem, such as a sinus condition, gastric reflux, diabetes, or liver or kidney disease. In that case, see your doctor.
How to keep it away
Brush and floss
Brush twice a day and floss once a day to clear away the bacteria behind bad breath.
Clean your tongue
Stick your tongue out and look right at the back. The white or brown coating there is where most bad-breath bacteria live. Clear it with a toothbrush or a tongue scraper.
Mouthwash
Over-the-counter mouthwash can kill bacteria, or neutralise and mask bad breath for a while. It only works for a short time, though. The longer you wait to brush and floss away food, the worse your breath gets.
Clean your dentures
If you wear removable dentures, take them out at night and clean them well before you put them back in the next morning.
Keep saliva flowing
Eat foods that need a lot of chewing, like carrots or apples, or chew sugar-free gum or suck sugar-free sweets. Your dentist may also suggest artificial saliva.
Quit smoking
Your breath will be better, and so will the rest of your health.
TheraBreath
For lasting relief, ask us about TheraBreath, an alcohol-free programme for long-term prevention. Its patented oxygenating formula, OXYD-8, stops the bacteria that cause bad breath from multiplying.
Source: ADA MouthHealthy, “Bad breath”