If you suffer from chronic bad breath (also known as halitosis), it is not a condition you have to live with if you understand the common causes of halitosis and how to treat the condition. Not only can bad breath be annoying, but in some individuals, it can cause extreme embarrassment and even anxiety. The good news is that halitosis does not have to be a permanent condition.

By making an appointment with a licensed dentist for an examination, professional diagnosis, and treatment, keeping your distance from others due to off-putting bad breath can be a thing of the past.

What Is Halitosis?

Halitosis is more commonly known as bad breath. This can range from garden variety just woke up and need to brush my teeth bad breath, to overwhelming stink on the breath that causes someone to back away while conversating. An estimated thirty percent of the population is thought to be affected by halitosis at one time or another.

It can be hard for some people to tell if they have bad breath, so if you suspect there could be a problem, ask a trusted friend to do a smell test. Or if a person comments on the smell without you bringing it up, it could reasonably signal halitosis.

Top 9 Common Causes of Halitosis

Most people experience bad breath during some point in their lives. This can be caused by something they ate, poor oral hygiene habits, or a variety of serious health conditions. While this list is not an exhaustive one, the top 9 common causes of halitosis include:

  1. Poor oral hygiene. Brushing and flossing daily is about more than just clean and sparkling teeth. It is also about minimizing plaque and bacteria that can gather on the teeth, tongue, and gums. Individuals who do not practice good oral hygiene on a daily basis are at a higher risk of experiencing bad breath.
  2. Certain foods or drinks. Some foods, such as onions and garlic, are pungent in their natural state. When we eat these foods, they can linger and cause our breath to smell until the food leaves the body.
  3. Drinking strong coffee. While coffee is part of many Americans’ morning routine, having a particularly strong cup of coffee can cause stinky breath and a relatively small decrease in saliva production. The more coffee a person drinks, the stronger the effects can be.
  4. Use of harmful substances. A person who chews tobacco, snuffs, or smokes items like cigars and cigarettes are primary candidates for the development of bad breath.
  5. Prescription medications. Some medications may treat one problem but create bad breath at the same time. This happens especially when the medications cause a dry mouth.
  6. Certain health conditions. While you may not be in close enough proximity for people to notice, sinus infections, respiratory infections, allergy symptoms, and bronchitis can all contribute to bad breath. In other instances, more serious conditions such as diabetes or disorders of the kidneys or liver could also be the cause of unpleasant breath.
  7. A dry mouth. While a dry mouth could be just from being a little dehydrated, it can lead to a decrease in the production of saliva. This often makes a person’s breath smell bad because without the saliva to remove food particles, the food stays in between the teeth and gums and can give off a harsh odor.
  8. Periodontal disease. Bad breath can be one of the precursors of periodontal disease, but this diagnosis must come from a licensed dentist who may detect it at regular teeth cleaning visits.
  9. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is a known digestive disorder in which acid from the stomach can come back into the esophagus. It may cause both discomfort and halitosis.

With so many possible causes of halitosis, it is a mistake to self-diagnose. If you suspect you could have this condition, make an appointment with a dentist for a history intake and oral health examination.

How to Correct Halitosis

Because of the wide scope of causes of halitosis, the treatments for each can vary. The best way to know the proper treatment for your specific condition is by making an appointment with a licensed dentist.

There are a few steps you can take to help prevent the development of halitosis, such as:

  • Taking good care of your oral health. This means brushing teeth daily- ideally once after breakfast and then again before bed. Be sure to brush your tongue too! Flossing daily is also wise as it can help dislodge food and other particles stuck in between the teeth that give way to unpleasant odor in the breath.
  • Avoiding eating foods or drinking beverages that contribute to bad breath. If you are about to go on a date or a social outing for work, it is a good idea to skip consuming odorous foods like garlic and onions. By doing this, you can boost your confidence and allow close contact with others without fear of smelling like the food you just ate.
  • Not using any form of tobacco. Not only will this keep the teeth from becoming stained by tobacco, but it will keep the substance from making your breath smell.
  • Using toothpaste and mouthwash designed to kill plaque-causing bacteria. It is important to note that while these can be useful tools, persistent bad breath should be evaluated by a dental professional.
  • Keeping up with regular dental visits. If there is plaque buildup causing bad breath, a dentist should be able to find it during a regular visit. By visiting a dentist every six months for a cleaning and checkup, it allows them to compare the status of your oral health from visit to visit and track any potentially troubling trends.
  • Keeping the mouth from getting dry by drinking water and minimizing intake of caffeine and alcohol.

In other cases, it may take a dental professional to treat conditions such as:

  • Oral health care problems. If the cause of halitosis is beyond treating with better brushing and flossing by the patient, a dentist will have to address and treat the specific cause.
  • Heavy plaque buildup. For people who have not kept up with regular dental cleanings or taking good care of their oral hygiene, the plaque buildup could be extensive and require an antimicrobial mouth rinse to aid with getting rid of bad breath, in addition to a strict oral hygiene program.
  • Gum disease. If the gums are inflamed and the breath smells, a thorough professional cleaning may be needed to remove plaque and reduce inflammation.

If a dentist suspects that a deeper health condition exists that is contributing to halitosis, they may refer the patient to a medical doctor to evaluate the person’s health.

 

By knowing the common causes of halitosis, you can take steps today to start protecting against bad breath. However, if bad breath persists, it is critical to make an appointment with a licensed dentist to establish a proper treatment plan.