Bad breath stinks, literally and metaphorically. Yet, it happens to the best of us. Unfortunately, it isn’t always a onetime thing for some people. One in four people suffer from chronic bad breath, also known as halitosis. While combating bad breath seems like a simple fix, there’s more to it than just brushing your teeth more or using mouthwash. Before we look into what to do about bad breath, we should discuss what causes it.  

So, what causes bad breath?

Approximately 80-90% of bad breath comes the mouth. A buildup of bad bacteria, usually on your tongue, can result in that rotten eggs smell we all know so well. A tongue scraper can alleviate some of the odor, but it might not be enough to permanently fix the problem. Saliva helps clean your mouth. If you have dry mouth, then that might be part of the problem. Since you aren’t producing enough saliva to wash away food and bad bacteria, your breath starts to smell.  

Other issues in the mouth can also lead to bad breath. Cavities and gum disease are two of the more prevalent problems, but there are a few other oral problems that might be affecting your breath. If your tonsils have trapped food, then they are contributing to your bad breath. Chipped fillings or dirty dentures also trap leftover food, which once again lead to bad breath.

On a Serious Note

On a more serious note, your mouth might be warning you of an infection. When we think of bad breath, we tend to just think of the mouth. However, issues with the mouth can be tied to larger problems with the nose and throat as well. Human bodies are great at letting us know if something is wrong, and we shouldn’t ignore them. We recommend seeing a medical professional to avoid any future problems. If this helped, please let us know in the comments below. Look for our upcoming post on how to deal with bad breath.