Before you can defeat the enemy, you must know the enemy. Therefore, the most effective way to remedy bad breath is to find the root cause of it. At times it may seem impossible to defeat this problem, but fear not. This condition is so common that 25% of people suffer from foul breath and you should know that it can be cured.

The most common causes of bad breath are microbes, food, tobacco, artificial teeth and parched mouth. And each of these causes can be treated. Now we'll look at each of them individually.

1. Mouth Microbes

Mouth microbes are the major cause of what is known as chronic bad breath. This is the kind that doesn't want to go away. However, good oral hygiene practices can eliminate this form of unsavory breath. Regular brushing and flossing is the key. Mouth microbes live in the food particles trapped in your teeth and on your tongue. That's why flossing is so critical here. And you might even consider gentle tongue brushing, just to be on the safe side. Get in the habit of regular brushing and flossing and this form of unpleasant breath will leave you alone.

2. Food

If you ever smelled someone's breath after they ate onions or garlic, then you know food can definitely cause bad breath. And this is the short term kind...it's not permanent, but distressing anyhow. The only thing to do in this situation is eat a breath mint or use a freshener to cover up the odor. In this case masking is the answer because the smell originates in your gastric region and will go away on its own. You just have to wait.

3. Tobacco

If you smoke you should quit...all right, you've heard it all before and you're in no mood for a lecture. Fair enough. Unfortunately, tobacco causes chronic bad breath and the only way to remedy it is to stop smoking. The smoke adheres to your mouth and leaves you vulnerable to foul breath and gum disease...and cancer. If you smoke, please consider giving it up. If you do, your breath will clear up.

4. Artificial teeth

In this case, mouth microbes team up with artificial teeth to give you chronic bad breath. How? Artificial teeth that aren't cleaned properly horde food particles and the microbes go to work on them just like unbrushed natural teeth. The solution here is simple: clean your artificial teeth regularly.

5. Parched Mouth

Interestingly enough, parched mouth can cause short term or chronic bad breath. Liquid helps to flush mouth microbes out of the mouth and if the mouth is too dry the microbes won't be removed. You need to regularly moisten your mouth if you suffer from this condition. Not only will your mouth feel better, but your smelly breath will be reduced or eliminated. And a regular brushing and flossing routine is a must if you have parched mouth; it will combat foul breath.

Once you know the enemy you can defeat the enemy. Find out what is the cause of your bad breath and then take the appropriate steps to eliminate it. When you have found a cure for your bad breath that works, you'll be starting a whole new life.