Halitosis, otherwise known as bad breath, is an unfortunate fact of life for millions of people. It negatively impacts almost every aspect of life, because most interaction with others requires opening your mouth to communicate. Being painfully aware of how offensive their breath is, people that suffer from halitosis are constantly searching for effective bad breath solutions.

There are many solutions available, including a number of highly effective natural cures for bad breath. But in order to find a bad breath solution that really works, one must first determine what is causing the halitosis. And most people are unable to do this because they have so many misconceptions about what actually causes bad breath. So let's examine some of these misconceptions, and set the record straight.

If your breath stinks, you are generally the last to know because you are physically incapable of smelling it. That little test people do by blowing into their hands and sniffing does not work because that little puff of breath doesn't come from the back of your throat the way it does when you are talking to someone. Since most foul odors originate in the back of your throat, you are unable to smell what the people you talk to smell.

Halitosis is not hereditary, so you cannot blame your bad breath on your parents. The only thing you could possibly pin on them would be passing on some sort of genetic predisposition for halitosis-causing bacteria, which may or may not be possible.

One common misconception about bad breath is that it originates in your stomach. While this true for those suffering from digestive halitosis, it is not the case for most people. That's because digestive halitosis, resulting from problematic digestive stomach enzymes, is a relatively uncommon condition. For most people, bad breath is the result of odor-causing bacteria that has built up in the back of the throat and on the tongue.

Another common misconception is that mouthwash, gum and breath mints are all great ways to eliminate bad breath. The reality is that they simply mask foul odors for a little while, and do not get rid of them. Mouthwash is certainly not a good bad breath solution because the alcohol in it dries out your mouth and raises levels of oral bacteria, making your breath smell even worse.

Many people believe that eating certain foods like garlic, onions, and strong cheese are what causes bad breath. Technically, that is not true either. It is the particles from these foods that linger in your mouth, stimulating all of the odor-causing bacteria that really make your breath stink. So, popping a mint does not help. You need to remove these food particles if you want eliminate the foul odors they cause.

For some reason, there are people that believe probiotics and hydrogen peroxide can cure bad breath. This simply is not true. In fact, hydrogen peroxide is toxic, and rinsing your mouth out with it can cause significant tissue damage. Doctors and dentists recommend trying a more natural cure for bad breath.

With all of the myths and misconceptions floating around, it can be rather difficult to find an effective bad breath solution. But now that you have a better understanding of the facts, you should be able to find a solution that will clear up your halitosis.