Fact Checked
What is Halitosis?
- Unpleasant smelly breath, or halitosis, is fairly common with healthy individuals, particularly when they first wake up.
- For some individual’s bad breath is a long-lasting problem, affecting their private, professional and social life.
Causes Of Halitosis
- Halitosis mostly occurs in the mouth. The normal cause is the breakdown of food particles which causes bacteria.
- This method of breakdown is precisely the same as the method that causes food to ‘go off’. This is identified as decomposition.
- Most individual’s mouths hold large numbers of bacteria, particularly in dental plaque, the matter that builds on the teeth that are not cleaned frequently.
- The cracks in the surface of the tongue can also hold odour-causing germs.
Other Causes Of Halitosis
- Occasionally foods that hold certain oils, such as spices, onions and garlic, will cause bad breath, but only on a short-term basis until the food is removed from your body.
- Dieters might have halitosis because of fluctuations in their metabolism.
- Sometimes bad breath is produced in the throat, nose and respirational passages.
- People who smoke, and those who take certain types of medication, might have bad breath. Occasionally, individuals with illnesses of the liver, diabetes or digestive complications have bad breath, but this is not common.
How To Prevent Bad Breath
- The best method to treat and avoid halitosis that builds-up in your mouth is to brush your teeth and tongue carefully at least twice per day, particularly after eating.
- This stops germs from forming and eliminates the tiny food bits.
- Some professionals suggest that a tongue scraper is more efficient than a tooth brush for cleaning the tongue.