Bad Breath; Causes and Treatment

What is bad breath?

Bad breath, also known as halitosis, fetor oris, ozostomia or stomatodysodia is an unpleasant smell that is given off from the nose or mouth of an individual when he or she breathes or speaks.

Causes of bad breath

(1) Types of food or drinks ingested: Foods with strong odours like onions and garlic; exotic spices like curry, thyme and cinnamon and beverages like coffee, when ingested and digested, are absorbed into the bloodstream from where they enter the lungs and are expelled when breathing. And unfortunately, even after brushing and flossing, their smell doesn't go away unless they've completely passed through the blood system.

(2) Poor dental hygiene: Improper cleaning of dentures (artificial teeth) and failure to (properly) brush, floss and tongue scrape daily causes food particles to remain between the teeth, gums and on the tongue which causes bad breath.

(3) Use of depressants and stimulants: Depressants and stimulants like tobacco (smoked, chewed or sniffed) and alcohol enter the bloodstream from where they make their way to the lungs and are also expelled when breathing.

(4) Health problems: Health problems like gum disease, candidiasis (yeast infection), xerostomia (dry mouth which can be caused by continuous breathing through the mouth), diabetes, pneumonia, sore throat, and Gastro Esophageal Reflex Disease (GEAD) which is the backflow of acid from the stomach to the mouth and also, damaged internal organs like the liver and kidney release toxins which are expelled through the nose and mouth and cause bad breath.

(5) Lack of carbohydrate: High protein and low carbohydrate consumption causes the body to burn stored fats for fuel and leads to a condition known as ketosis because as fat burns, ketones are built up in the body and are released through breathing.