The Causes Of Bad Breath

Almost everyone is a victim of bad breath at one time or another. Perhaps you have simply eaten a meal of spicy or strong flavored foods, or are suffering from a sinus infection, or you are trying that low carbohydrate diet. Any of these can cause bad breath, usually a temporary problem.

However, poor oral hygiene is perhaps the most prevalent reason for long-term symptoms of bad breath. Oral hygiene should include not only regular brushing and flossing, but regular visits to a dentist. These visits will detect potential problems such as periodontal or gum disease that will cause bad breath as well as loss of teeth and bone.

Bad breath is usually caused by bacteria that live in a person’s mouth. As these bacteria go through their life cycles they consume food and excrete wastes. The wastes given off by some of these bacteria are compounds that account for many of the bad breath problems people face. Some of these compounds are especially nasty – hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell), dimethyl sulfide (often associated with the smells from the ocean), and methyl mercaptan (the smell from feed lots). Dentists refer to these compounds as “volatile sulfur compounds”. The term “volatile” means that the compounds evaporate readily which explains why they easily offend those around us almost instantly.

Other waste products produced by bacteria that live in mouths are cadaverine, putrescine, skatole, isovaleric acid. It is especially unpleasant to realize we all have a frightening potential for bad breath. Fortunately, the levels of these sulfur compounds are so low they cannot be detected by smell, and unless these levels rise we will not lose friends because of bad breath.

Most of the compounds listed above that cause bad breath are waste products of anaerobic bacteria, that is bacteria that grow best in the absence of oxygen. Our mouths are a constant battleground for living space between the types of bacteria that cause bad breath and those that don’t.

Plaque is a whitish film that forms on the teeth both above and below the gum line and on the tongue. As this layer of plaque builds it provides the ideal conditions for anaerobic bacteria to thrive. As plaque increases so do the bacteria that cause bad breath.

Most of bad breath causing compounds are produced as anaerobic bacteria digest proteins. Therefore, the types of foods we eat have a direct effect on these bacteria. Meats, fish, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products are all obvious sources of protein. Some less obvious sources are cereal grains, nuts, peas, beans, lentils and the ingredients found in many of our favorite desserts (cakes and pies) also can have high protein content.

Most of the anaerobic bacteria that cause bad breath live on the tongue, especially far toward the back. And bacteria that live on the teeth both above and below the gum line will not only cause bad breath, but serious periodontal disease as well. The pockets that eventually form with gingivitis are especially inviting to these bad breath causing bacteria.

Mouth, nose and throat conditions such as sinus infection or, in the case of children, a bean or other small object stuck in the nose, dry mouth, chronic lung infections or abscesses, kidney failure, uncontrolled diabetes, chronic acid reflux, upper respiratory infections, while they are active, using tobacco products, and even canker sores can all be related to bad breath.

How to tell if you have bad breath is a question we’ve all asked ourselves on occasion. Here are some suggestions:

A noticeably unpleasant or bitter taste in your mouth

Lick the skin of your inner wrist and check the smell of the saliva. If it is unpleasant, you most

likely have bad breath.

Do people tend to step away when speaking with you? Or turn their heads orcover their mouths?

The very best way is to ask someone who you can trust to tell you the truth. (After all, what are friends for?)

Winifred Churchill writes about a variety of topics related to living healthier lives at her web site, Healthy Living. Included are articles on diet and weight management, exercise, supplements, reducing stress, natural medicine and use of herbs, green living with solar and wind energy.