Bad Breath Causes - Halitosis Treatments Bad Breath Reasons... Causes... Solutions... There are a few different causes for bad breath. It ranges from stomach problems to diets and teeth problems. Most of the causes can be found in the mouth, they are: 1- Tongue (when bacteria grows in between the papilla) 2- Teeth cavities (especially when food particles get stuck in them) 3- Gum diseases 4- Extraction sites during healing 5- Dentures when not cleaned properly 6-Alcohol and tobacco If you or someone you know is concerned about bad breath, the first step is a dental check up. Your dentist will be able to confirm or rule out teeth or mouth as the source of bad breath. When the reason is found, treatment will be explained by your dentist. If the source of the bad breath is your mouth there is little chance that mouth washes or mints can treat the problem. They usually mask the problem for a short period of time. They can even sometimes make the situation worse (mouthwashes that contain alcohol cause dry mouth and that usually makes the bad breath worse). These are a few other, non-dental reasons that cause bad breath: 1- Sore throat 2- Tonsillitis 3- Some foods 4- Infection of air passages. Following a good oral hygiene routine and getting regular check ups with your dentist are best ways of preventing bad breath. Back to Oral Health Topics Do You Have It? Coffee Bad Breath. Find Out More.... Now!   by Linda Johns Bad breath would have to be the most common personal hygiene condition that all of us fail at one time or another. Let's face it if a friend or someone in our family, or even a work colleague has it, we certainly take a step back out of their personal space quick smart....don't we? Of course it isn't news that a daily routine of brushing and flossing our teeth after we eat is an effective treatment against this type of offence. However for some people like me who are constantly on the go, carrying out this simple mouth cleaning treatment throughout the day isn't always possible. Personally I carry a little box of breath mints everywhere I go because in my role as a career coach I work up pretty darn close and personal with the public. Having a breath problem is not something I can afford to have when, as part of my job, I am leaning over people critiquing their resumes and covering letters. Maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene and grooming is of utmost importance if I am to set a positive example for the job seekers to follow as an effective means of increasing their chances of landing employment. Like clean underwear a fresh breath is something we should never leave home without. Some years back I went to visit a new dental clinic to have a tooth filled. On the day I remember being horrified when the dentist accused me of being a smoker because the brown stains on my teeth were so bad. Needless to say the poor fellow copped a mouthful as I told him in no uncertain terms that as the daughter of one of the original founders of the national anti-smoking campaign, I had never dared to take up smoking. Once he realized he had made a mistake in diagnosing what was causing my bad mouth he then went on to ask about my diet. At the time I didn't understand why he seemed so interested in knowing what foods went into my mouth as I had already told him I didn't eat anything with sugar in it and that I used mouthwash twice a day to kill any bacteria. When he didn't get anywhere with picking on my dietary habits he went on to quiz me about how many cups of coffee I was drinking a day. Shamefully I confessed to indulging in six or more a day of my favorite brew. 'Your breath must be really bad in the morning.' he exclaimed. Coffee he insisted was up there with garlic and onions as one of the major causes of halitosis which, just in case you didn't know, is the technical term for bad breath. So, if your coffee drinking habits are at the higher end of the scale like mine, then be mindful that it may be causing you to have bad breath. About the Author You can catch more fresh ideas on bad breath by author Linda Johns at http://www.betterhealthcentre.com/ so be sure to pay a visit - it is an ever growing health and disease information site for every age group. Bad Breath Pregnancy   by R. Drysdale When we're reading about causes of bad breath pregnancy is not often listed, however many pregnant women do complain about having halitosis or about experiencing a persistent unpleasant or metallic taste in the mouth. Bad breath during pregnancy may result from hormonal changes or deteriorating dental health. Sudden bad breath is always a sign that something has changed and it should prompt a self-assessment of recent changes in life style, diet or health. It may well be a sign that a visit to the dentist or doctor is in order. If you are pregnant and you suddenly develop bad breath pregnancy may be the indirect cause; however, it could also be a sign of health problems or the onset of gum disease. If careful and persistent oral care practices don't clear up the problem, see you doctor rather than assuming that it will go away on its own once the pregnancy is over. It's well known that pregnant women have increased calcium needs and are at greater risk of tooth decay if these calcium needs are not met. When the diet is deficient in calcium, the mineral is taken from the teeth to provide for the developing baby. Tooth decay and gum disease often go hand in hand - when this process starts in the mouth, it can contribute to sudden bad breath. Pregnant women should always be under a doctor's care and have regular dental checkups to catch problems early. Bad breath pregnancy problems are problematic to treat because of the difficulty with taking medications or undergoing medical procedures during this delicate time. An unpleasant taste in the mouth may not mean that there is also bad breath. The taste can often be dealt with over the short term with lozenges or breath mints (choose sugar free if possible to reduce the chances of tooth decay). When there is true bad breath pregnancy does limit the measures you can safely take, though mouthwashes, which are not swallowed, are generally safe to use. Always read the label instructions carefully, and consult your doctor if you are in doubt or if you experience unexplained sudden bad breath. About the Author R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. She is a contributing editor to Bad Breath Remedies, a blog dedicated to the treatment of bad breath. Bad Breath Cure   by A.P.Durai "The face that launched a thousand ships," is how a beauty of the ancient Greek world is described in poetry. Was the real reason bad breath, one wonders? This may be a flippant speculation but it is no secret that no beauty or beauty aids can mask the terror that stalks human beings in face- to- face encounters. Men and women lose tons of goodwill in everyday transactions, in their personal as well as professional relationships and they are looking for a bad breath remedy. Temporary and chronic The subject of bad breath cure is kept under covers, but the best bad breath solution is to meet the problem head on, admit that there is a problem, identify the cause and then deal with it with a will. The cause of bad breath could be temporary, like when you eat odorous things like onion, garlic, fish or meat and spicy curries. Smoking and consumption of alcoholic liquor also create their own odour, but people conveniently exclude them from consideration! What thou sowest, that thou reapest; what thou eatest and drinkest, that thou smellest! The morning breath is a passing phenomenon and the normal brushing takes care of it. The transitory bad breath can be controlled and prevented by thorough gargling, brushing of teeth after the meal and before retiring, chewing of mint and what have you. But chronic bad breath, called Halitosis in medical parlance, is quite another cup of tea. It is caused by the bacteria that are active in the tongue. They are beneficial as they help break down the proteins. But as the bacteria die, their dead cells release a sulphur compound that causes a typical odor. Doctors have even invented an odor meter that can measure the amount of such sulphur by-products of our oral factory. The mouth tells a hundred tales The cause of bad breath is not far to seek. For the most part, it lies in the mouth and in our lack of oral hygiene. · The tongue is rough and has plenty of spaces including cracks for lodgment of the smelly sulphur compounds. Scraping with tongue cleaners specially the back of the tongue is advised by doctors as most of action takes place there between bacterial plaque and food debris. · Food particles which are left behind on the tongue and in between teeth decompose and produce the malodorous effect. · The food debris also leaves behind plaque on the teeth and between the gum and the teeth. These become depositories for bacteria that account for the cavities and afford hideouts for elements that churn the witches' brew day and night. They produce odours that make us unpopular in company. We are no longer sought out, but assiduously kept at arm's length. · Periodontal (cavities) infection and gum diseases like gingivitis play a large role in creation of bad breath. Timely treatment of both is essential for a healthy mouth. Preventive maintenance should include daily flossing and massaging of the gums with fingers after brushing the teeth. · Sinus infections are another source of odor and they are treatable with sinus irrigators. · Ulcers in the mouth have to be investigated and the cause dealt with. · Home remedy for bad breath will not work if the cause of bad breath lies deeper. People who suffer from diabetes, liver disease, bronchitis, inflammation of the nasal-sinus tract, tuberculosis, certain types of cancer and so on emit trademark odors which the doctors can identify. It is clear that bad breath is only a symptom and it is the cause that has to be identified and treated. Healthy habits save us embarrassment Adam and Eve also must have wondered how to get rid of bad breath because they had not invented the toothbrush. Perhaps they were eating plenty of fruits, greens and other raw food which kept their mouth and gastro-intestinal tract in constant renewal. Holistic experts say that it is not only the state of the mouth but the entire gastro-intestinal highway that should be cleared regularly of toxins and putrid matters if a healthy and odorless breath is to be secured. Are we drinking enough water and maintaining the fluid level in the body? A tongue that runs dry is said to harbor bacterial cells that work overtime during the night. Are we flossing every night and getting rid of food debris that lies between teeth? Irrigators and dental cleansing kits are now available and they make for effective oral hygiene. A note of cheer The lasting bad breath remedy / bad breath solution lie in intelligent appraisal of the problem, identifying the cause and then initiating the treatment. The cheering news from doctors is that most cases of chronic bad breath have their origin in the mouth and can be successfully treated. They are purely a dental concern. But ten percent of the cases could have a deeper medical cause and will need appropriate treatment for the disease in question. For more information go to http:// www.vitality4lifeshop.com.au About the Author A.P.Durai, after his retirement from the Indian Police Service, is a full time worker of a worldwide spiritual organization which trains spiritual seekers in meditation. He is himself an authorized trainer in meditation. Having been the Director of the National Police Academy in India, he often lectures to police officers under training on holistic development. He is deeply interested in human development and transformation through a spiritual approach. Bad Breath Halitosis   by R. Drysdale It's been written that someone called bad breath halitosis many years ago in a deliberate attempt to create a medical term for a common problem. At the time, bad breath was regarded as more of a personal hygiene issue than a medical problem. The name stuck but it was still a long time before anyone really started taking breath odor seriously from a medical perspective, and today, halitosis is not the proper medical term - physicians say "fetor oris," "ozostomia," or "stomatodysodia." But whatever you want to call it, a bad breath problem is still a social challenge for anyone unfortunate enough to suffer from it. Fortunately, medicine and science have been paying more attention in recent years, and even though its root causes are still not completely understood, there are now some real research-based methods to combat bad breath halitosis. The best of these are based on the knowledge that the odor is almost always being produced by oral bacteria living in the mouth. Since sometime in the 1940s, medicine has been combating bacteria, like the ones that cause bad breath halitosis, and many more serious infections, with antibiotics - drugs that kill bacteria. There are problems with antibiotics however: sometimes they don't reach the site of infection; sometimes bacteria develop resistance to them, and often they fail to kill off all of the bacteria they're being aimed at. When some bacteria remain, they begin to multiply anew as soon as the antibiotic is withdrawn. In cases where antibiotics and antiseptics are used to treat a persistent bad breath problem, the odor usually recurs because bacteria return to their former levels after treatment is discontinued. The point is that, in order to permanently treat a bad breath problem, you need to treat the root cause. It might be a medical problem like sinusitis or gum disease. It might be something systemic, a situation that would require diagnosis by a medical doctor. It might be a dietary deficiency of some kind. If you want to be free of bad breath halitosis, get a complete medical checkup and a dental examination. 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