What Can Give You Bad Breath And What To Do About ItOther sources of bad breath can come from our eating habits. Individuals who eat a lot of certain spices, onions and garlic tend to have bad breath. Those who eat a lot of protein also have bad breath No one likes to be accused of having bad breath. Bad breath cannot only destroy your social life but it can lead to health problems or be a symptom of a disease. The bacteria in your mouth, and in your stomach and intestines, bowel and sinuses can contribute to the growth of infections that can lead to bad breath. The use of tobacco products and alcohol can contribute to bad breath as they can increase bacteria in your mouth by causing your mouth to dry out. A moist mouth prevents the over abundance of bacteria. A moist mouth contains saliva that freshens and cleans the mouth. A dry mouth harbors bacteria that can grow on the back of your tongue and in the cracks and crevices of your tongue, teeth and in the spaces between your teeth. Individuals with dry mouth as a result of smoking, drinking alcohol or from side effects from taking certain medications can experience dry mouth and have bad breath from it. Other sources of bad breath can come from our eating Those who eat a lot of protein also have bad breath because bacteria loves the protein that gets left in our teeth. Individuals who have post-nasal drip such as those with allergies, sinus problems and respiratory or sinus infections can also harbor bacteria that leads to bad breath. Other sources of bad breath are those who tend to not drink enough water and become dehydrated (dry mouth), those with medical conditions such as diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux, hypoglycemia, liver and kidney diseases, and those with allergies or other respiratory disorders. Individuals with lactose intolerance can also experience bad breath when they eat or drink dairy products because the products are not easily digested and sit around longer gathering bacteria. What can we do about bad breath?
The first step in fighting bad breath is to form good oral hygiene habits such as brushing your teeth after eating, using dental floss at least once a day to remove food particles from between teeth, brushing our tongue once a day, and drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day. It is very important to see a dentist on a regular basis to catch dental disease in the early stage for many reasons but also to prevent or reduce bad breath. Your dentist can help you to learn to brush each tooth properly, and to care for your mouth if you play sports, or have special medical issues that may affect your mouth. Your medical doctor can tell you when you are taking medications that may dry out your mouth so that you can be prepared to drink plenty of water or chew sugar free gum or suck on sugar free candy to help moisten your mouth.
We can make sure that if we eat spicy foods, or foods that contain garlic or onions that we follow good dental hygiene. Sugary foods are especially known for contributing to the bacterial growth in our mouth so it is important to brush after eating sweets or when brushing is not possible to at least rinse our mouth with water after eating sweets and then brushing our teeth as soon as possible. Certain cheeses such as blue cheese, Camembert and Roquefort can contribute to bad breath as well as eating fish such as anchovies and tuna so be sure to brush your teeth as soon as you can after eating these foods. Did you know that if you have a B vitamin deficiency you could have an increased risk for bad breath? If you have a deficiency in the element, zinc, it can also lead to bad breath. Your doctor can tell you more about these deficiencies and how to prevent them by taking supplements. If you suffer from post-nasal drip it may be a good idea to ask your doctor about taking extra vitamin C, which can help rid your body of the excess mucus and other toxins that can cause bad breath and are present in post-nasal drip. More on Bad Breath
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