Bad Breath - The Social Killer

Bad breath or halitosis causes humiliation during social gatherings and functions. Lets take a minute to get an in-depth look at the underlying factors behind chronic bad breath. Some of the main causes of halitosis are irregular dental visits, consumption of odorous foods (e.g. onions and garlic), and prescription drugs. If you can't seem to rid yourself of chronic bad breath, then you may have no other choice but to schedule a dental appointment. In the following paragraphs are bad breath causes, and the reason why knowing them can help you prevent this dental condition.

Foods That Cause Bad Breath

Food you eat affects your breath. There are foods that have a more powerful smell over others that contribute to foul breath as they stay for as long as three days on your breath. Some examples are garlic, yellow onions and other greens. After consuming onions and garlic, they spread throughout the entire body entering the bloodstream and the lungs. When you breathe out, the odors scrambles to get from the lungs to your mouth.

Dry Mouth Aids Halitosis

Bad breath is often amplified in extreme dry conditions. Saliva is one of the best natural defense your body produces to fight dry mouth; it moistens the oral region and removes dead cells from the tongue, cheeks, and gum-line. A mouth that does not produce much saliva will have dead cells building up which then decompose. This results to halitosis. On account of less production of saliva during the night while you are sleep, morning breath is unappealing. Drink plenty of water often along with other liquids, such as fruit juices. It's also possible to chew sugar-free gum or candy throughout the day to aid in the production of saliva and moisten the oral area.

Smoking and Halitosis

One of the causes for halitosis is cigarette smoking. In addition to causing bad breath, smoking cigarettes will stain the teeth, damage the gums, and dry the mouth. Oral cancer and periodontal disease can also attack smokers. It's in your best interest to avoid or stop smoking, if you are serious about getting rid of halitosis and staying healthy..

Practice good oral hygiene to combat bad breath. You should brush your teeth everyday and floss between the teeth so as to remove any food remains that cause bacteria buildup in your mouth. You should also rinse your mouth with mouthwash after every brushing. You must also be on the look out for plaque build-up in the mouth which leads to many oral problems, including bad breath. Plaque clings to the teeth and along the gum-line where irritates the gums and ignites bad breath. This turns into periodontitis and makes the breath smell bad. For those who have false teeth on, also wash them correctly to prevent smelly breath.

Aside from the periodontitis, repeating sinus release can lead to halitosis. Lung infections and abscesses, throat problems, bronchitis, acid reflux and upper respiratory infections are halitosis causes as well. Failure of the kidney and liver and uncontrolled diabetes also give a foul smell in the breath.

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