Bad breath, also called halitosis, is the tainted odor coming from your mouth mainly caused by decaying food particles and bacteria.
What causes bad breath?
The primary causes of chronic bad breath are poor oral hygiene and gum disease.
The bad odor begins when bacteria start to develop on your tongue and in other areas of your mouth. If a proper oral care routine is not followed, the bacteria spreads between your teeth and throughout your entire mouth. These bacteria then release sulfuric compounds which result in the foul smell.
Poor Digestion
Bad breath can also originate in your stomach. If your digestion is off, then the food starts to break down and release noxious vapors before being passed onto the upper and lower intestines. These gases travel up through the esophagus and into your mouth.
One way your mouth makes sure your food is being properly digested is through the chewing action. This not only breaks down the food into smaller, more manageable pieces, but the enzymes in your saliva (mainly ptyalin) actually starts the digestive process then and there. Chewing food stimulates the three sets of salivary glands found in your mouth that produce this saliva.
That’s why your parents were correct when telling you gulping down your food wasn’t the way to go!
Helping Your Digestive Tract
Taking a good probiotic can also help. This replenishes the good bacteria found in our intestines which are essential in breaking down food. You can also try taking a full spectrum digestive enzyme supplement. As we grow older, we produce less digestive enzymes, making it harder to break down and assimilate our food. Adding these enzymes in a supplement form replaces these dwindling enzymes.
Yoghurt, organic wheatgrass and fresh sauerkraut sold in glass containers also have these natural food digesting enzymes.
Certain foods of and by themselves can also cause bad breath, such as garlic or even coffee. Keeping your mouth clean after eating and drinking these types of foods will go a long way in reducing the offensive odor.
If you’re a smoker – quit! Nothing can ruin your breath faster than filling it with noxious, cancerous cigarette smoke.
How can bad breath be eliminated?
A proper oral care regimen should be adopted, including routinely brushing and flossing your teeth, in addition to keeping your tongue clean. Regularly scheduled visits to a dental professional are also a necessity.
Products such as mouthwashes and breath mints may provide temporary bad breath relief; however, they are not long term solutions. The only long term cure for bad breath is to control or eliminate the mouth bacteria or digestive problems creating the smell in the first place, instead of trying to temporarily mask the odor.
