Bad Breath Causes

Common Bad Breath Causes

In knowing the common bad breath causes helps us understand people with this condition.

Have you experienced having someone close to you- a friend maybe, which happens to have stinky breath? Or, that you have a hard time telling someone that she/he has a bad breath? I understand because I had the same experience and no matter how much we wanted to tell that someone who has the terrible flaw, we still can't do it, even if you can, the thought of spitting the words out is not easy. But, before we start feeling bad for anyone with bad breath, it would be best to know the possible bad breath causes.

Bad breath, or halitosis, is usually caused by the presence of bacteria in the mouth. Bacteria also consume food and excrete wastes, just like humans do. The wastes produced by the bacteria are sulfur compounds, which are odorous and are usually one of the bad breath causes. But, we still have to consider that there are other factors which affect the odor of one's breath, such as food, smoking, having a dry mouth, gum disease, sinus conditions, untreated medical conditions, etc.

Food is also one of the contributing factors of bad breath. There are some foods known to cause one's mouth to stink, such as garlic and onions- the most common examples. Every time we eat, our digestive system breaks the food that we ate into molecules. If we have eaten odorous foods, the tendency is that these molecules are absorbed into our circulatory system, resulting to their distribution throughout our body as nourishment. During the circulation process, when the blood travels through our lungs, some of the molecules will be released into them and as a result, when we exhale we let out some of the odorous molecules- simply called bad breath. But this condition is temporary and will be gone in just a matter of day. So, to minimize this problem, try avoiding too much consumption of these kinds of foods.

Smoking maybe one of bad breath causes with which tar, nicotine and other bad smelling substance from tobacco smoke accumulate on the smoker's teeth and oral tissue. But then this can be remedied through proper oral hygiene. On the other hand, smoking can lead to drying of oral tissues and those who smoke have greater risk of having gum disease than those who don't, which are contributing factors to bad breath.

Are you one of those who don't seem to have bad breath issues, yet have offending breath in the morning when you wake up? This is due to the reducing of salivary flow when we sleep, resulting to the drying of your mouth. The presence of moisture found in our mouth, like our saliva, makes us swallow, therefore, helping our mouth cleanse it. Every time we swallow, we also wash away the bacteria with the food with which they feed and the wastes they've produced.

Gum disease or periodontal disease is the second most common of bad breath causes. This disease is a problem mostly for people more than 35 years and above; the older you get the more likely your bad breath is caused by periodontal disease. This is a bacterial infection located in the tissues surrounding your teeth. This gum disease damaged the bones that hold the teeth in place and creating deep spaces between teeth and gums (called periodontal pockets) which can become an ideal ground for bacteria to live.

For all you know Sinus condition can contribute to your bad breath. Respiratory infections and allergies can promote the flow of postnasal drip onto the back part of your tongue. The discharge usually has a bad smell and taste, and worse, these are what bacteria will feed from which in turn produce stinky wastes- as a result bad breath!

Untreated medical condition may not be the primary reason of the bad breath causes, yet can be a potential contributing factor. If bad breath persists even after you have consulted your dentist and tried simple solutions, it's about time you need to consult a doctor.

If you have stinky breath, it's impossible that you can't be aware of it for long. From the bad breath causes discussed above, they should give you clearer ideas of the possible underlying reasons why there are people with bad breath.