Noticeably unpleasant breath odor is known as bad breath or halitosis.
Causes of bad breath may be local that is within the mouth cavity or outside the mouth cavity. Normally bacteria reside within the mouth cavity but we don’t suffer from bad breath. In some situations they cause bad breath.
Causes of bad breath
Dry mouth (xerostomia)
Lack of proper food habit
Lack of regular brushing of teeth properly
Causes of bad breath outside mouth cavity
Dry mouth also called xerostomia – Saliva plays an important role to remove bacteria and small food particles from the mouth and thereby prevent formation of bad breath. When due to some reason there is less production of saliva, the mouth becomes dry, food particles accumulate and bacteria multiply within the mouth cavity, break down the food particles and cause bad breath.
 Causes of dry mouth may be due to diseases in the salivary gland that produces saliva. It may also be due to side effects of some medicines. Many drugs may cause dry mouth including some drugs used to control blood pressure, drugs used to treat allergies, drugs for Alzheimer’s disease (a disease that causes progressive memory loss).
How to prevent dry mouth
Sip water frequently.
Drink adequate water, unless you are not advised by your doctor to restrict water intake for some other reason.
Consume fruits rich in water.
Chew sugar free gum to produce more saliva.
Eat cucumber and carrot like vegetables that need chewing.
Avoid spicy, salty and dry food.
Avoid alcohol, excessive tea, coffee and carbonated drinks.
Avoid alcohol and peroxide containing mouthwash.
Lack of proper food habit – Our food habit also plays an important role to cause bad breath, if you suffer from bad breath then avoid sugar containing food and drinks because sugar is digested by the bacteria producing acid which causes tooth decay and cavity in teeth where bacteria grow and cause bad breath.
There may be formation of a sticky film composed mainly of bacteria on tooth that is called plaque, if not removed regularly it becomes hard calculus (tartar). Tartar is more difficult to remove and causes irritation, swelling, redness of gum and gum bleeds easily, a condition known as gingivitis. Gingivitis is an important cause of bad breath.
Take nutritious diet, vegetables and fruits because lack of nutritious diet lowers the immunity causing infection in mouth cavity.
Lack of regular brushing of teeth properly – food particles accumulate not only on teeth but also in between teeth, between gum and teeth and on the tongue.
Brush twice, once in the morning and once in the evening for 2 minutes each time. Brush the inside of the teeth, the outside of the teeth and top of the teeth.Â
Use toothpastes that contain fluoride because fluoride prevents tooth decay. It is important to change your toothbrush frequently because the toothbrush itself becomes a carrier of bacteria if used for a prolonged period.
Sometimes food particles accumulate in between two teeth and cannot be removed by brushing, in that situation use dental floss, interdental brush or water flosser to remove food particles in between teeth.
Tongue is a place for bacteria to grow so clean the tongue from back to front using a tongue cleaner or tongue scraper.
Wash mouth cavity with alcohol free mouthwash or warm saline 2 to 3 times a day after food.
Look for any oral ulcer, dental cyst, fungal infection or cancerous condition that may cause bad breath.
Causes of bad breath outside mouth cavity-
Sometimes the cause of bad breath may be outside the mouth cavity such as it may be due to diseases of ear, nose, sinuses and throat, tonsillitis, diseases of stomach, liver and intestine, diabetes, kidney problem etc. So in these situations consult a specialist who can treat the underlying cause.