While talking to someone you are trying to impress, you have no idea there is a foul odor others can smell from your breath. No one has ever told you this, and therefore, as far as you're concerned, you don't have bad breath. To say the least, bad breath, (halitosis) can be very embarrassing and sometimes even offensive.
First you need to find out if you have bad breath. The sure way is to ask someone you love or trust to tell you. The other tests such as breathing into your hand and smelling it, just will not work.
There are indeed many causes for bad breath, but the majority is caused by local factors in the mouth. The malodor is composed of volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) released from microbial metabolism. The VSCs in the mouth are much higher if you have gum disease.
What else causes bad breath?
Not brushing and flossing often enough or properly are obvious causes for bad breath. You may be surprised to know tongue jewelry can also cause bad breath by harboring bacteria.
Not cleaning dentures properly can be another problem. Food can stay under the denture causing the foul odor. Cavities, abscessed tooth, old fillings that need to be replaced should be added to the list as well.
Dry mouth from any cause including medications such as anti-histamines, anti-anxiety drugs, anti-depressants, decongestants, pain medication, diuretics for high blood pressure and many other drugs, can provide a perfect environment for bacterial growth. We all know smoking and chewing tobacco can cause bad breath as well as oral cancer.
Throat infections and even prolonged speaking can dry mouth, causing bad breath. There are also systemic or non-oral causes. For example, drastic changing in diet, or fasting can cause bad breath. Other causes include hormonal changes, such as menstrual cycle, menopause or pregnancy.
Bad breath will be noticed with a cold, flu, or sinus infection with postnasal drip. We all also know the effect of certain high volatile foods on our breath such as garlic, onions,, alcoholic drinks and coffee.
Systemic diseases linked to bad breath include diabetes, oral cancer, renal or hepatic failure, and cirrhosis of the liver.
Sleeping can cause morning breath. Keeping a bottle of water by your bedside and thoroughly brushing and flossing before going to bed can help prevent dehydration and the awful bad taste and breath on waking.
Many people think they can hide bad breath with mouthwash. Most commercial mouthwash contain nothing more than alcohol and artificial flavors and colors. Studies report mouthwash may mask the malodor for about two hours. The alcohol may actually dry the mouth and eventually cause more bad breath and even tissue damage.
If bad breath is due to gum disease, it can be a sign of a serious illness, since we now know that with gum disease there is a higher risk for heart disease and stroke.
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