Do You Know What Causes Bad Breath?

If you know about all the causes of bad breath, you can be proactive when practicing good oral hygiene. You can also make sure that you have good habits to keep down halitosis while promoting overall good health.

You Are What You Eat

This may surprise some, but the act of eating is the most common source of bad breath. Thank goodness there are measures you can take to help prevent and to lessen the possibility of getting bad breath, without having to give up eating. Certain foods like onions, spices, garlic, and different drinks like coffee are more likely to cause bad breath than others. Through the process of digestion, these items go into your blood system and are carried to your lungs. This in turn, can affect your breath because of their offensive odors. On the other hand, there are foods that have the reverse effect such as parsley and broccoli, which can actually help to neutralize bad breath.

Chew On This

Regardless of how well you keep tabs on your diet, just the process of chewing will stimulate the production of bacteria which carry odors as the food is being digested. Odor-carrying bacteria can also get caught in the tongue's grooves. Like with everything else, the best defense is a good offense, oral hygiene notwithstanding. Without good oral hygiene, these food particles will stay in your mouth and make matters worse. Besides causing bad breath, bacteria left in your mouth will turn into plaque, which will cause inflammation of the gums and form deep pockets between your gums and teeth called periodontitis, which will attract even more plaque and bacteria. Similarly, for those with partials or dentures which are not cleaned regularly or that do not fit right, can cause the same bad effects.

Other than the off-putting odor, both smoking and tobacco use are likely to lead to gum disease, and are associated with bad breath. Antibiotics and other medications can release chemicals that can come out in your breath as well as contribute to dry mouth, which is a condition where saliva production is reduced. Since salvia helps cleanse your mouth by removing bacteria, reduced saliva output at night is the cause of the dreaded "morning breath."

Chronic Bad Breath May Signal a More Serious Condition

If you have ruled out all of the above and you still have bad breath, it could be a signal of a more serious condition such as infections or wounds brought on by oral surgery, extraction, or another underlying illness. There are times when your sinuses, throat or nose become swollen, or even small stones which can form on the tonsils, all of which can cause a foul smell. Certain breath odors are also associated with problems of the glands, acid reflux, metabolic disorders and even diseases like cancer. Young children can sometimes get a foreign object such as a piece of food or a small toy lodged in the nose, which can result in bad breath.
If you have any doubts, it is always smart to discuss your questions with your local professional, who can usually rule out certain concerns and pinpoint the cause with a quick exam and simple consultation.

Dr. Caven and his team provide a wide range of cosmetic dental services to help your smile be healthy for a lifetime. With incredible advances in materials and techniques, the quality minded dental practice can produce astounding results.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Caven

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