Halitosis, or bad breath, has many causes. However, its effects are the same the world over. The best way to prevent halitosis, however, is to understand it. Different types of bad breath are cured in different ways. If you are using the wrong approach, you may not understand why the steps you are taking are not working.
Main Reasons For Bad Breath Here are some of the most common reasons for bad breath, and what you can do about them.
1. Tongue The most common place for breath odor to occur is on the tongue. Large amounts of natural bacteria can be found on the back of the tongue, and may not be disturbed over the course of the day. Since this part of the tongue is not frequently cleaned, these bacteria can thrive and emit unpleasant odors. Most of these odors are caused by proteins breaking down into bad smelling gases. This is why your breath may smell more after eating certain foods.
Fortunately, bad breath located at the back of the tongue is relatively easily treated. Just clean your tongue gently with a scraper or other implement designed for the purpose a few times per day. Be sure not to apply too much pressure and damage the tongue, and do not use a toothbrush. Brushing the back of the tongue can cause inadvertent gagging, which can be very unpleasant. Mouthwashes, gargled once or twice a day, can also reduce smell emanating from the back of the tongue.
2. Dental Works Other areas of the mouth can also provide reasons for bad breath. If you have dental work that has caused food to become trapped in your teeth, have an abscess, niches in your gum that can harbor bacteria, or do not clean your dentures properly, you may discover bad smells emanating from your mouth.
The solutions for these problems vary depending on what's wrong. Bad dental work has to be corrected by a professional. Abscesses are dangerous to health, and should be treated immediately. Problems like trapped food and dirty dentures can be treated by more thorough cleaning.
3. Gum Diseases Some people who have gum disease may also find that their breath is particularly bad. Bacteria growing below the gum line can produce a foul smell. However, this does not happen in everyone.
4. Nose Oddly, another place that causes bad breath is the nose. Sometimes, the breath from the nose can smell, but breath from the mouth will not. In these cases, the problem is likely caused by a sinus infection, which should be treated appropriately.
5. Tonsils Another of the reasons for bad breath is the tonsils. Very few people actually have this problem, but if you do, it is a serious one. Around five percent of people with very bad smelling breath suffer from putrefaction of the tonsils. This should be seen to by a doctor as soon as possible.
Conclusion As you can see, there are many reasons for your bad breath. You will need to identify the cause before you can do something about them.
While bad breath is probably not anyone favorite conversation, understanding the main reasons for bad breath is the only way you are going to actually be able to address the problem and fix it completely. Things like gum and mints only mask the odor; they do not actually fix the problems that are causing halitosis in the first place. If you do not address these problems, your bad breath is just going to continue to surface.
The causes of halitosis are many but unless we identify the correct underlying reason for our breath condition, we will never be able to freshen our breath effectively.
The major cause for most of our breath condition is due to poor dental hygiene. Those people who do not brush their teeth regularly or floss suffer from the problem of bad breath. Food residues are often left in the mouth and this provides the bacteria the opportunity to feast on them. As they do so, bad breath results. Hopefully, this will encourage those of you who usually do not care for oral hygiene to think and act otherwise.
Another major reason is gum diseases. Amongst the gum diseases, gingivitis is the most common. Gingivitis is actually an inflammation of the gums and that usually is the result of plaque. While that can result in bad breath, it is probably the least of your problem. Your teeth and gums are likely to suffer an irreversible damage if you do nothing about it and this is where you need to pay a visit to your dentist immediately.
Dehydration is another cause. Having adequate moisture in the mouth helps rinse away germs and bacteria. Usually dehydration happens when you live in a warm environment or are not getting enough liquid in your diet. The easiest way to correct this is to drink water. You can choose to add a slice of lemon to help spice up the taste.
Anything that affects the sinuses can also cause foul breath. This usually happens because one has to breath through his or her mouth more often, which causes bad breath by drying out the mouth. Having blocked or plugged sinuses may not themselves cause bad breath.
You should not be surprised to learn that there are foods that contain volatile oil which are major causes of our breath condition. For example, it is a well known fact that eating onions and garlic cause your breath to smell, so in order to avoid that you can blend them instead of eating them raw. The reason is that they are usually metabolized in the body and the smell is pass to the lungs result in smelly breath.
Do you suffer from persistent cough? If so, keep away from dairy products. The fat in dairy products can thicken mucus, which will also make your cough worse and increase your likelihood of having halitosis. Switch to low-fat or non-fat milk, reduced-fat cottage cheese, low-fat or non-fat cheeses, and so on.
As you can see, there are many causes of bad breath. To effectively fight bad breath, we must first identify the correct cause of it before we can apply the relevant remediation. Not knowing the real cause can only cause you to waste precious moments and resources to treat the superficial symptoms.
Both Kelvin Ho & Darren Wumoult are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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