Bad Breath – Causes and Remedies

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Jul 06, 12

90 million Americans suffer from chronic bad breath, also known as Halitosis. This oral health issue often affects a person’s daily life and relationships, making it uncomfortable for other people to talk and associate with those who suffer from it. Often times people who have bad breath do not even realize it until they are told, and that conversation tends to be very uncomfortable for both parties involved. To help resolve this common health concern it is important that you know of some simple ways to determine whether you have bad breath, common causes for it, and a few easy remedies to make sure things go away and do not come back.

Knowing if You Have Bad Breath

The most common methods to tell whether you have bad breath are:

1. Cupping your hands to your nose to smell your breath as you exhale
2. Licking your wrist (wait for it to dry) and then smelling it to see if there is a bad smell
3. Exhaling into someone’s face and letting them determine
4. Using a spoon to scrape the white stuff off the back of your tongue

[more…]

The first two ways are not the best indicators of how our own breath smells. Your body gets used to your odor over time and it will be very hard to tell if your own breath smells bad. Also, most times bad breath only emanates when one talks. The third way is a very good indicator, but it would be very unpleasant or the person who you breathe on. A way to avoid using another person is with the fourth method of checking if you have bad breath. If the white stuff from the back of your tongue smells good or bad than it is a good indicator as to how your breath smells.

If you have tried these methods, or any other do-it-yourself method, and you are still not sure, it might be a good idea to go visit a local dentist so that he or she may check the level of sulfur compounds in your breath – the more compounds present the worst your breath smells.

Causes of Bad Breath

The top five causes of bad breath are:

1. A Dirty Mouth
2. A Mouth Out of Balance
3. Stinky Foods
4. Not Enough Carbohydrates
5. Illness

If you do not clean your mouth properly bacteria builds up inside your mouth that will end up causing your breath to smell very bad. For this and other health reasons, it is important to brush and floss your teeth regularly as well as going to a top dentist so that he or she may clean your teeth. Another problem is if you are already suffering from gum disease or dry mouth it causes bacteria to grow and flourish. Stinky foods often leave behind byproducts that enter your bloodstream and eventually create a stench in your mouth that will not go away so easily. Stinky foods are not the only dietary issue that will cause bad breath – not having enough carbohydrates in your system may also be a cause for the odor coming from your mouth. When your body does not have carbohydrates to burn it burns stored fat instead resulting in an odor coming from your body. Sometimes bad breath can be a sign of a more serious illness such as diabetes or GERD. It is important to have bad breath checked and fixed so that any other illnesses may be ruled out.

Remedies for Bad Breath

For these five most common causes there are five simple ways to cure bad breath. If one makes sure to do these things then the chances of developing bad breath will be reduced. These five things are:

1. Keep your mouth clean
2. Keep your mouth moist
3. Watch what you eat
4. Include carbohydrates in your diet
5. See your doctor

Gum, breath mints and mouthwash are a great temporary fix if you have bad breath, but they are no cure for it. The key to getting rid of bad breath is to brush and floss regularly, and especially to remember to scrape your tongue twice a day for any bacteria and plaque buildup (90% of bad breath comes from bacteria on your tongue). Another important thing is to make sure you have enough liquids in your body to keep the right saliva balance. Keeping a normal diet is also very important. Avoiding foods, such as onions and garlic, which cause bad breath is important. Certain things, like drinking two cups of tea a day, help to prevent bad breath. Keeping a normal level of carbohydrates in your body is also important in keeping your oral health in perfect shape. If all this does not work you need to see a doctor and/or one of the best dentists in your neighborhood to make sure you are doing things properly and that it is not a more serious illness that is causing bad breath as a side effect.

Did any of these suggestions help you? If you know of any interesting home remedies let us all know!