What Causes Bad Breath and How To Prevent It
Bad breath can occur for a number of reasons, some more serious than others. It could be just a case of something you have eaten or it could be an underlying disease that is causing the unpleasant smells.
Let’s look at a few examples of foods that can cause your breath to smell.
Common Food That Cause Bad Breath
- Garlic
- Onion
- Cheese
- Orange Juice
- Spicy Meats
- Certain Types of Fish
- Coffee
These can all be remedied by drinking water and chewing gum or sucking on some mints. They are short-term problems and can be fixed fairly quickly.
Poor Oral Hygiene That Causes Bad Breath
Not looking after your mouth, your teeth and your gums can lead to more serious issues and aren’t always cured overnight. Any food that is left in your mouth and isn’t cleaned can collect bacteria, start to rot and then ultimately start to smell. The more food trapped in places within your mouth, the worse the smell will be.
The same goes with not cleaning your teeth. Plaque will begin to build up on your teeth which is a breeding ground for bacteria to grow and thrive on, which in turn will give you bad breath.
How To Tell Someone They Have Bad Breath
Subtlety is the key when addressing a personal issue like bad breath, rather than coming straight out with “your breath smells” we usually try to offer a temporary solutions such as a mint of a chewing gum – in most cases where the person has eaten something that has caused bad breath, this will be gone within a matter of time. However, if the bad breath is a result of poor hygiene or disease it can make things slightly more complicated especially if you work with them.
Prevention of Bad Breath
One of the biggest causes of bad breath is food that has lodged in the cracks and crevices within your mouth, and by simply flossing each day you can notice a difference almost instantly as flossing will get into all those hard to reach areas that a toothbrush or mouthwash cannot get to.
You should also brush at least twice a day, in a morning and before bed and where possible rinse with mouthwash which will rinse your mouth of any debris that has been dislodged through brushing but also keeps your breath smelling fresh.
The final bit of advice is to visit a dentist, if the problem of bad breath hasn’t been resolved with cleaning regularly, flossing or using mouthwash then it means that it could be something more serious that only a dentist can investigate into.
Whether its gum disease, tooth rot, or even uncontrolled diabetes, these can all leave a rather pungent smell in your mouth. Even Liver and Kidney problems can directly affect the way your breath smells so it’s important to rule out the minor issues first.
A well trained dentist will be able to let you know if something such as gum disease which they can treat or whether it’s uncontrolled diabetes (the smell is usually similar to nail polish, acetone). You can then be put on the right path to getting fresh breath.
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