What is the cause for bad breath?

Answer 1

Lots of things.
However to keep your breath fresh, do the following:

1. Keep your mouth clean. That means a thorough brushing twice a day and flossing regularly. Food and bacteria trapped between teeth and at the gum line can only be removed with floss. If they're left to linger, bad breath is imminent.
2. Clean your tongue, too. Bacteria left on your tongue can contribute to less-than-fresh breath. Be sure to brush your tongue after you brush your teeth.

3. Wet your whistle. A dry mouth can quickly cause bad breath. Saliva helps clean your mouth; it has a natural antibacterial action, and it washes away food particles. That awful morning breath is the result of reduced saliva flow at night.

4. Rinse. If nothing else, at least rinse your mouth with plain water after eating. Swishing the water around may help to remove some of the food particles left in the mouth after a meal and prevent bad breath from setting in.

5. Munch on parsley. Munching on parsley or spearmint won't cure bad breath, but the scent of the herb itself can help to temporarily cover up offending oral odor.

6. Eat to smell sweet. Foods that help fight plaque may also help fight bad breath. Opt for celery, carrots, peanuts, or a bit of low-fat cheese if you want something to snack on.

All of the tips above will help your breath smell better, but figuring out the cause of bad breath is the best way to lick it for the long term.

Answer 2

Bad breath is caused by odor-producing bacteria that grow in the mouth. When you don't brush and floss regularly, bacteria accumulate on the bits of food left in your mouth and between your teeth. The sulfur compounds released by these bacteria make your breath smell.

Certain foods, especially ones like garlic and onions that contain pungent oils, can contribute to bad breath because the oils are carried to your lungs and out through your mouth. smoking is also a major cause of bad breath.

If you're concerned about bad breath, make sure you're taking care of your teeth and mouth properly. Some sugar-free gums and mints can temporarily mask odors, too.

Answer 3

There's some really nasty glands at the back of your throat that excrete odors when you're sick or stressed and stuff. Cleaning your tongue can help too, because bacteria from your food can stay there and start to fume...really sick. If you've got a strong gag reflex and you can stick your finger down your throat without gagging, you can push on them, or pick off the tops of them, and your bad breath will go away. I think it's a hereditary thing. Some people just have worse breath than others.

Answer 4

Bad breath is caused by bacteria that grows in the mouth. The mouth is warm and wet, an ideal environment for bacteria. The bacteria likes to eat the food fragments on and between your teeth.

Bad breath is also (obviously) caused by eating stinky foods like garlic, onions, fish, etc.

Answer 5

Could be a number of reasons - stomach problem, mouth/dental problem etc. I have a work colleague who never eats at lunchtime - always has bad breath later in the day. If dental hygiene is not an issue and it isn't smoking or simply something just eaten, then a medical check up would be advisable.

Answer 6

Though the causes of breath odour are not entirely understood, most unpleasant odors are known to arise from food debris trapped in the mouth which is processed by normal mouth flora; there are over 600 types of bacteria found in the average mouth. Several dozen of these can cause trouble when allowed to flourish or are genetically disposed to overpopulate. Large quantities of these naturally-occurring bacteria are often found on the posterior of the tongue, where they are undisturbed by normal activity. The rough surface of the tongue dorsum provides an ideal habitat for anaerobic bacteria, which flourish under a continually-forming tongue coating of food debris, dead cells, and hundreds of thousands of bacteria, living and dead. When left on the tongue, the anaerobic respiration of such bacteria can yield either the putrescent smell of polyamines, or the "rotten egg" smell of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) such as hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide, depending on the bacteria type. It is generally these compounds which, when mixed with mouth air and exhaled, produce unpleasant breath. Other causes of chronic bad breath may be periodontitis (gum disease), helminthiasis (intestinal parasitic infections), diabetes, kidney failure, sinusitis, tonsilloliths, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), trimethylaminuria (TMAU), hormonal changes, and a wide variety of prescription drugs (especially when taken on a longterm basis).

Answer 7

Plaque. It starts "rotting" in your mouth. If you don't brush regularly the plaque will harden into a coating on your teeth. Hence bad breath and "yellow" teeth. You should brush your teeth at least when you wake up and before bed. If you can brush after lunch that would be great. So brushing regularly (not all those expensive whiteners) will do you the most good in the long run.

Answer 8

There are 2 causes. Bacteria in the mouth from improper brushing or post nasal drip. If you find that you take good care of your teeth and brush/floss regularly and you still have bad breath, you might have post nasal drip. It's when mucus from your nose drains down the back of your throat instead of the nasal cavity.

Answer 9

Look at your diet , do you eat a lot of spicy foods ? Also is your oral hygiene good. Are you a nervous person because this can play a big part in producing gases from the stomach that lead to bad odours.

Answer 10

Bad Mouth!