High Protein Diets

Despite halitosis having a number of source factors one of the main reasons is the consumption of certain food types that actually promote bad breath. These foods are generally high protein foods such as meat and certain dairy products which are fed on by the bacteria in the mouth. The bacteria synthesize this protein creating a smelly by product (sulfur compound) which is a major cause of the foul stench associated with halitosis.

Poor Oral Health Care

Another much neglected area which can cause halitosis is not keeping good oral health care. To promote a healthy mouth you should brush your teeth atleast once a day if not after every meal. Combining regular brushing with flossing and tongue scraping will further enhance oral cleanliness by helping to remove additional food particles which the bacteria feed on. A clean mouth is a fresh smelling mouth so always brush as much as you can.

Xerostomia - Dry Mouth

Dry mouth also known as xerostomia is another cause of severe halitosis. There are several factors causing xerostomia including disorders in the salivary gland or the taking of certain medications that lessen saliva production. Regardless of the cause a dry mouth is considered by many oral hygenists to be one of the core reasons of major halitosis. Saliva is the mouths regulator and cleanser, without it the ability of the mouth to clean it self is much reduced. In the long term this means food particles remain in the mouth longer which increases the ability for bacteria to survive in the mouth.

Periodontal Disease

In extreme cases if simple home remedies don’t work it might be that you’re suffering from periodontal disease. If you feel you might have periodontal disease then you need to consult a dentist and get it checked out. Simple halitosis home remedies will not be enough to address this condition so the sooner you visit your dentist the better.

Other Conditions

Other medical conditions like respiratory infections, diabetes, and gastrointestinal problems may also cause halitosis. In these cases you will need the attention of a medical professional who can properly diagnose your problem and offer the right medications and/or advice. Just remember that it’s very rare that your halitosis will be caused by other medical conditions, in most cases simple cleaning, flossing and a good mouthwash will probably solve all your problems.

Smoking & Tobacco

Lastly if you smoke or use other tobacco related products you might be contributing not only to halitosis but even worse periodontal disease which would further increase your bad breath symptoms.

We hope the above sections have given you a better understanding of halitosis and it’s major causes. If you have any further questions feel free to leave a comment or send us your questions.

The most important thing we always stress is that you need to practice good oral hygiene at all times. Most of the time practicing good oral hygiene is enough to get rid of most bad breath problems. This means you need to brush and floss your teeth after each meal making sure you remove all food particles, especially the ones wedged between your teeth and gums.

Always make sure your toothbrush’s head is small and tapered, so it can reach all the tiny areas in your mouth, especially the back of the mouth which is prone to harbouring bacteria. Also don’t forget to change your toothbrush every 3 or 4 months as it’s very easy to keep using an old tooth brush without realising that it’s not working as effectively anymore.

As well as regular brushing some individuals have experienced great improvements in oral hygene by using a good quality mouthwash twice a day. If you only have time to use a mouthwash once a day then make sure you do it before going to bed, because it will keep your mouth bacteria free all night. Our personal recommendation is to try to avoid alcohol based mouthwashes because they tend to dry out the mouth and can often increase bad breath.

Another halitosis treatment is popping sugar free gums or mint candies into your mouth when your mouth is dry. Saliva has an extremely important role in keeping the mouth moist and serves as a self cleaning agent for your mouth. When your mouth is dry, you will notice that your breath starts to smell bad so chewing sugarless gums or taking sugarless candies can often help keep it moist when you’re on the go.

Another area to focus on is the portion of the tongue near the back of your mouth. This area is prone to storing bacteria and germs which can hugely increase the effects of halitosis. Using a soft toothbrush immersed in mouthwash can help you clean the tongue and will greatly reduce the effects of bad breath. Another method is to use a tongue scraper instead which in many cases delivers even better results. The key to success using this method is to make sure you get the tongue scraper or toothbrush as far back as possible.

Baking Soda

One of the oldest bad breath remedies is baking soda. Put a little of it on your toothbrush and brush your teeth for around 4-5 minutes. This will not only decrease your mouth’s acidity but also decrease bacterial growth which is one of the main reasons for bad breath.

Apple Cider Vinegar

To make a good bad breath remedy, take one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before eating your meals, and follow with water. The vinegar will help with your digestion and decrease the formation of plaque and bacteria in your mouth.

Activated Charcoal

Believe it or not, charcoal is one of the best known bad breath remedies because it absorbs toxins and cleanses your mouth and stomach of bad breath causing bacteria. To use this remedy you will need 5 grams of activated charcoal to cleanse and purify your stomach.

Salt water

This is one of the age old bad breath remedies that has been practiced for centuries before modern day toothpaste was discovered. Mix about half a tablespoon of salt with a glass of water, then gargle the mixture. The salt water will cleanse your mouth of food particles, bacteria, and mucus, leaving you with a clean sugar free and bacteria reduced mouth.

Lemon slice

Sucking on a lemon with a little bit of salt will prevent bad breath caused by onion, garlic and other strong smelling foods.

Fennel

Several preparations of this herb can be used as a bad breath remedy. You can chew on its leaves to help build up saliva in the mouth. You can make a paste by taking a fennel capsule and mixing its contents with baking soda, this paste can then be used to brush your teeth. Alternatively you can even try extracting the fluids from fennel and rub it onto your tongue and gums for an anti bacterial cleanse.

Parsley and Mint

The leaves of these herbs can be chewed and used as effective bad breath remedies and are particularly good if you want to hide the smell of garlic and onions in your mouth.

The above are just a few of the bad breath remedies available to you so try them all to see which one is easiest and works best for your mouth. Remember bad breath is undesirable and making use of simple remedies like above only takes a couple of minutes every day and will leave you feeling confident and empowered every time you open your mouth.

Chronic bad breath is brought about by the natural bacteria in your mouth. As these bacteria break down the food we eat they turn out sulfur compounds that emit extremely smelly odors. If they’re not cleaned and removed from the mouth it can result in only one thing, bad breath.

The research we are referring to was conducted for 28 days and involved 14 adults suffering from severe halitosis. The results showed that brushing the teeth twice a day with a toothpaste that has triclosan was effective in fighting against mouth bacteria. The results also showed that doing this together with using a tongue scraper eliminated chronic bad breath altogether.

Triclosan is the active antibacterial agent in many anti acne formulations as well as hand soaps and detergents. Although It’s not usually found in toothpastes, there are afew toothpastes companies that include it. The study revealed that brushing twice a day with a triclosan toothpaste coupled with tongue scraping brought down the levels of bad breath causing bacteria from 400 parts per billion to 100 parts per billion. This shows that these two simple regimens are indeed effective against chronic bad breath.

At the end of the 28-day period, the researchers reported that all 14 adults successfully eliminated chronic bad breath and displayed increased levels of confidence and satisfaction.

So if you have chronic bad breath and you’re looking for remedies, look no more. All you need is a toothpaste with triclosan and a tongue scraper. Brush your teeth at least twice a day with this toothpaste and run the scraper on your tongue and you will very quickly say goodbye to your bad breath problems.

This nasty smell which has been likened to the smell of rotten eggs is emitted by hydrogen sulfide and is one of the sulfur compounds responsible for your bad breath. Another sulfur compound, methyl mercaptan is responsible for the foul smell in barnyards. In simple terms both of these volatile sulfur compounds are for most people the major cause of their bad breath.

Aside from volatile sulfur compounds, plaque from poor brushing can build up in the mouth and promote the growth of anaerobic bacteria. The presence of plaque provides an ideal growing environment for anaerobic bacteria because the places where they grow become devoid of oxygen.

High protein foods like eggs, meat, fish, and certain dairy products are also causes of bad breath. This is because the bacteria in the mouth loves feeding on proteins, so when we eat these high protein foods we’re actually giving these bacteria more food to eat. Fuel for the fire has never been so true, and many of us who try to eat healthy or partake in weight training maybe prone to bad breath when we go on high protein diets.

Bacteria that live on the tongue are another cause of bad breath. Most of the bacteria grow on the tongue’s back portion, which is the part that produces most of the bad breath. The grooves or furrows found in the tongue allow the bacteria to grow and multiply extremely quickly, which is why a tongue scraper is always a great idea.

Other bacteria that contribute to bad breath are the ones found below the gum line. You will notice that when you floss, you sometimes touch parts under your gums that give off a bad smell. These hard to reach places unless cleaned regularly by flossing are great places for bad breath bacteria to hide. In fact the gum line offers the perfect environment for anaerobic bacteria to grow and multiply thanks to the lack of oxygen.

Now that you understand the how bad breath is developed why don’t you check out some of our other articles giving you ideas and tips on how to combat it.