Are you a victim of bad breath? Here are some of the causes of halitosis and how to fix it.

Medically known as halitosis, bad breath is a problem people commonly face. While certain foods and drinks can stimulate foul-smelling breath, halitosis can also be a sign of a serious problem.

Here are 5 common causes of bad breath and possible solutions:

1. Skipping Breakfast

Eating breakfast in the morning stimulates saliva which fights off bacteria and foul breath. Skipping breakfast allows the bacteria to continue attacking your teeth and gums for several more hours each day.

The Solution: Eat a healthy breakfast, like nonfat yogurt, fruit, and water, to help stimulate saliva to fight bad breath.

2. Eating Strong Foods

Eating foods with strong odors like fish, spicy food, garlic, onions and coffee can cause bad breath. Strong foods break down in your system and the chemical compounds that result from eating them can cause imbalances in your stomach and mouth, resulting in bad breath.

The Solution: Eat strong foods sparingly and when you do eat them, drink water to rinse the compounds away and then wait half an hour to brush your teeth or, if you’re unable to brush, chew a piece of sugar-free gum to address the problem directly.

3. Mouth Breathing

Breathing through your mouth causes bad breath by drying the saliva out of your mouth, leaving your teeth and gums undefended against the bacteria that creates halitosis.

The Solution: If you sleep with your mouth open, consult a physician for sleep apnea, snoring or asthma. If not, strive to focus on breathing through your nose throughout the day.

4. Plaque

Plaque buildup is very unhealthy for your mouth and will cause bad breath. As bacteria grows along your gum-line and between your teeth it creates plaque, which in turn accelerates the growth of bacteria. The coating over your teeth begins to eat away at your enamel and can lead to cavities, gingivitis, gum disease, or even abscesses when left alone for too long!

The Solution: Brush twice a day, floss at least once a day, and visit your dentist at least once every six months. On a daily basis, make sure you’re drinking water more often than anything else, to help rinse your teeth. Consider investing in an irrigation device, like a Waterpik, to gently remove plaque and bacteria from between your teeth and even under your gums. When doing this in addition to brushing and flossing, the results can have a great impact on your smile and breath!

5. Dairy Products

While the calcium in dairy products are good for your teeth, blood and bones, drinking and eating dairy products will introduce more bacteria into your mouth, which stimulate bad breath.

The Solution: After drinking or eating dairy products, wait for 30-minutes and brush your teeth. If you are in a position where you are unable to brush, drink water and chew on a piece of sugar-free gum.

Avoiding the dentist can cause bad breath too. Three of the most important things you should be doing are:

1. Brushing at least twice daily, for at least 2 minutes
2. Flossing at least nightly
3. Coming to see us every six months for a cleaning.

We will help you keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy, all the way to their roots, and healthy mouths don’t smell bad at all.

If you have taken the steps above and are still experiencing bad breath, REQUEST A CONSULTATION with us today and we’ll get you breathing easier in no time.