Causes of Bad Breath
Bad Breath Is Not A Trivial Matter

Although bad breath (also called halitosis) is certainly not a fatal illness, it is not an insignificant matter either. It can cause a person to be ostracized to such an extent he becomes somewhat of a social recluse. It is important for anyone to know their particular causes of  bad breath.

A great majority of the time, the mouth itself is the cause of bad breath odor. The bacteria that is the cause of bad breath, called oral flora, lives in the mouth.  It eats bits of food as well as bits of your mouth -- the dead surface cells that are shed continuously. The bacterial break down these particles into certain sulfur compounds that are very, very smelly. The longer the debris sits, the longer the bacteria have to work on it. The bad breath odor gets more and more foul.

In addition to being the cause of bad breath, these bacteria  also produce toxins that irritate the gums that can cause the gums to pull away from the teeth. This creates the perfect place for the bacteria to hide and multiply. The situation worsens as does the bad breath. In addition to the many sulfur compounds, the gum's hiding places often contain pus which adds to the stench.

How to Prevent The Causes of Bad Breath

Here are some steps you can take to put a stop the causes of bad breath problems:

• You have a good chance of doing away with one of the causes of bad breath by simply brushing your teeth.
• Also, be sure that brushing your tongue is part of your daily oral hygiene to get rid of another common cause of bad breath. The tongue should be scraped with a special tool made specifically for this purpose. This tongue scraper can be found at most pharmacies. If you don't have one, use a turned over spoon which will work the same to clean the tongue and eliminate another frequent cause of bad breath.
• Floss at least twice a day. It does not matter if you use waxed or unwaxed dental floss, but avoid using ordinary sewing thread which could injure your gums. Keeping food particles from lodging between your teeth is another important step to get rid of another cause of bad breath.
• Use an antibacterial or antiseptic mouthwash which may help prevent decay-related bad breath by killing oral bacteria.

Tip To check to see if your mouth is the source of your bad breath: Hold your breath for a few seconds with your lips sealed. Then breath out gently through the mouth. Have a good friend with you to be the judge. If a bad odor is detected, the source of the bad breath is the mouth.

Morning Bad Breath

Even the most meticulous person tends to have bad breath first thing in the morning. "Morning breath" , as it is called, is a natural phenomenon that results after eight hours of sleep. During the day, you are talking and chewing so the tongue is moving and there is a natural flow of saliva which continuously cleanses and rinses the mouth. However, at night, the opposite is true.

Foods That Tend To Be A Cause of Bad Breath

Not all bad breath starts with an attack of bacteria in the mouth. Certain foods such as garlic can be the cause of bad breath.  You can brush all you want, but the breath still smells because the odor is coming from your lungs. When the blood flow passes through the lungs, some of the malodorous vapors are exhaled, thus causing bad breath.

Other foods that can be the cause of bad breath include onions, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, coffee, alcohol and curry. Although mouthwash or breath spray will help disguise bad breath smells related to food for an hour or so, it can take up to 24 hours for the breath to be completely free of these bad breath dors.

Of course, if your breath is persistentlly bad, and you are unable to pinpoint the cause of your bad breath,  be sure to see your dentist.