Everyone has got a whiff of a foul odor coming from someones mouth. Usually we aren’t confrontational about bad breath unless its a person we are close with such as a spouse or friend.

Bad breath is a common thing. According the experts, at least half of people have halitosis at some point in their lives. But when it lingers longer than normal that becomes a problem.

What causes bad breath? How can you cure it? Is there a disease that is related to this?

What Causes Bad Breath?

Bad breath or Halitosis can be very embarrassing especially if you don’t know you have it. Having this foul odor can be caused by many things.

One of the biggest causes for bad breath to happen is Food. When food is broken down that increases the amount of different smells in your mouth depending upon the type.  Some of the known foods like onions and garlic are potent because when you digest them they go into the bloodstream and then into the lungs. The lungs provide the tools to breath so when you inhale and exhale the smell is given off automatically.

Even if you brush your teeth or use mouthwash immediately after consuming the foods it does not get rid of it; it just masks the odor temporarily. The smell will not completely go away until it is passed through your body.

Going off of the subject of bacteria, the way to get rid of bacteria or maintain a low amount of it is good dental hygiene. Brushing, flossing and even using mouthwash are the top ways to clean your mouth. If you do not do any of these the smell of the bacteria will cause bad breath.

It also will create plaque, which is a thin layer of bacteria that forms on the teeth. If this does not get brushed away this can lead to bigger problems such as gingivitis and periodontal disease.

When you eat any foods it increases the amount of bacteria present. This bacteria is scattered all around the mouth; it gets in between the teeth, on the tongue, the roof of the mouth and on the gums. If bacteria is not cleaned up then it will begin to smell.

Other things such a smoking, having dry mouth, medications, infections in the mouth and even some diseases such as having chronic re-flux of the stomach, can cause bad breath.

How Do You Treat and/or Prevent Bad Breath?

Preventing and treating bad breath is pretty simple. It all boils down to hygiene and how to treat your body.

The first way to help this stinky situation is dental hygiene.

90% of bad breath situations are because of bad dental hygiene.

Making sure you brush the teeth, gums and tongue properly is key. Flossing in between the teeth to get the harder to reach surfaces cuts down the bacteria population. Make sure to brush and floss as soon as you can after a meal. The longer you wait the more the bacteria has time to marinate.

Another way to decrease the likelihood of bad breath is to not smoke. The smell that emits from cigarettes is a factor but if you smoke enough you can develop gum disease and other dental problems that cause bad breath.

When you smoke you can experience dry mouth. Dry mouth is when you do not have the usual amount of saliva in your mouth. This naturally occurs when you sleep because sometimes the mouth opens letting the saliva dry. This is also known as “Morning Breath”.

The reason why dry mouth is so bad is because saliva helps clean the mouth. It helps neutralize odors and hinders bacteria from being able to grow.

A special group to also not forget about is people who wear dentures. Leaving them in over night is not beneficial. It make things worse and creates another space for bacteria to grow. Take them out to give the mouth time to rest.