Chronic Bad Breath - Causes & Management

While chewing gums, mouthwashes or sprays can help hide the odor for some time, it won t correct bad breath caused due to underlying problems. To get rid of bad breath properly, you need to brush and clean your mouth regularly. Plaque is a major cause of bad breath and regular flossing can help get rid of it. You would also need to improve your diet and lifestyle to ensure that the system of the body works properly so that the saliva and healthy bacteria production isn t disrupted.

A common misconception is that bacteria in your mouth causes bad breath. Your mouth contains billions of bacteria which are very useful in maintaining its health. Streptococcus Salivarius are friendly oral bacteria which have been found in large quantities in people who don t suffer from bad breath. On the other hand, if someone suffers from bad breath, such bacteria will be in a far lesser quantity within their mouth.

Bad breath has generally been associated with dry mouth. Saliva prevents bad bacteria from forming in your mouth as it continually cleans it. It also clears the food particles from your mouth to keep the tongue clean. Thus, if you have reduced saliva, these functions won t be carried out and would thus result in bad breath.

If you have a meal which contains many smelly and pungent ingredients such as onions and garlic, the compounds present in them will result in bad breath even after you have brushed and cleaned your teeth hours after the meal. Until and unless the compounds are digested and passed through your stomach for excretion, your bad breath may remain intact.