Straight Teeth in Less Time

Demystifying The Main Causes Of Bad Breath

11 February 2015

Lois Murray

If you always switch to panic mode whenever you run out of chewing gum or mint, you should read on to find out the reason why you have bad breath and how you can get yourself out of the predicament once and for all.

Common Causes of Bad Breath

1. Poor Dental Hygiene

This is the number one cause of halitosis. Failure to brush and floss your teeth after every meal will ultimately lead to bad breath. Since bacteria tend to thrive in unclean conditions, your unclean mouth will encourage their growth and trigger gum disease, which can cause bad breath.

2. Consumption of Certain Foods and Drinks

There are certain foods and drinks that when consumed can cause bad breath. Foods that contain too much garlic, onion, or cheese tend to cause bad breath. Drinks such as orange juice, soda, and diet varieties are also known to cause smelly breath.

3. Tobacco Use

Those who use tobacco are not only at a high risk of developing oral diseases such as oral cancer and gingivitis, but they are also more likely to have bad health.

4. Chronic Diseases

Sometimes bad breath can sometimes be associated with certain underlying health conditions such as diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease, liver failure, kidney failure, cancers and lung infection. Respiratory, nose, throat and mouth conditions are also often associated with smelly breath.

5. Having an Unusually Dry Mouth

Besides helping in the digestion of food, saliva serves as a mouth's natural cleanser. Dead cells tend to build up in dry conditions, thus thrive in the absence of saliva. Without the saliva, your mouth isn't cleansed and the result is appalling breath.

6. Malnutrition

Extreme dieting leads to the breakdown of chemicals, which is referred to as ketoacidosis. When this occurs, one is likely to have bad breath.

How to Combat Bad Breath

• Eat more fruits and vegetables every day.
• Slow down your meat consumption.
• Increase your water intake to keep your mouth clean and moist.
• Avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol.
• Stop smoking.
• Brush after every meal and floss your teeth at least once a day.
• Avoid those foods and drinks that cause bad breath.
• Chew sugarless gum or suck candy to stimulate saliva production.
• Remember to brush your tongue to remove bacteria.
• Visit a dentist, like Havendale Dental Office PA, at least twice a year for checkups and cleanups.

Now that you have an understanding of the main causes of bad breath, it's advisable that you refrain from those habits that can cause the problem and seek medical intervention if the problem becomes too complex for you to solve on your own.

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