Habits that cause bad breath

The most obvious cause of bad breath is poor oral hygiene. If you don’t brush and floss regularly, food particles will remain stuck in your mouth. These food particles will facilitate bacteria buildup between your teeth, gums, and tongue. The end result is bad breath. The use of antibacterial mouthwash is recommended to reduce the buildup of bacteria. Chewing and smoking tobacco is also something you should avoid because it causes bad breath.

Health conditions that cause bad breath

If you maintain good oral hygiene and lead a healthy lifestyle but still have bad breath, there is a good chance that halitosis is being caused by a health problem. Gum diseases are the main causes of bad breath. Diseases like periodontitis and gingivitis will cause you to have persistent bad breath. A gum disease will further promote the buildup of bacteria in your mouth thereby forming toxins that will irritate your gums. Gum diseases need to be treated to eliminate bad breath and to prevent irreversible gum and teeth damage.

Bad breath may also be caused by poorly fitted or poorly maintained dental appliances. If you don’t clean your braces, bacteria will build up in them leading to bad breath.

Xerostomia/dry mouth is yet another condition that can cause you to have bad breath. Dry mouth is all about having inadequate saliva in the mouth. Saliva plays the role of keeping the mouth moist, flushing dead cells on the tongue, gums, and cheeks. Saliva also neutralizes acids that are formed by the presence of plaque. There are many causes of dry mouth.