Print This Article Post Comment Add To Favorites Email to Friends Ezine Ready

What Causes Bad Breath: How To Cure Halitosis

By: Home | Health-and-Fitness


If you want to know what causes bad breath and how to cure halitosis, you first have to find out what causes it. It is difficult to cure a condition if you do not know what the cause it, but luckily the cause of bad breath is known. There might well be an argument about what the root cause is, but generally it is known to be caused by oral bacteria.

Sure, what you eat can cause incidental bad breath, but it is not halitosis. Thus, if you eat garlic then many will find your breath offensive, but only if you have not eaten garlic yourself. That is possibly why so many French eat garlic because so many others do and that is their way of not smelling the rest! True halitosis, however, can not be 'cured' that way.

Many believe bad teeth to be the true cause of halitosis, but that too is incorrect. Again, bad teeth can contribute, but teeth rot due to the action of oral bacteria on the food debris in and around the gums and teeth. This bacterial action generates acid that attack the enamel of the teeth and cause dental caries. That in itself however does not cause bad breath.

Bad breath can be caused by various digestive problems, by problems with the oesophagus and by infections of the sinus, airway and throat. However, 90% to 95% of halitosis is caused by problems in the oral cavity or the mouth. Bad breath is more than just bad teeth that can be resolved by dental treatment, and needs more basic treatment than that.

The chemicals that cause the smell are commonly called VSCs, or volatile sulfur compounds. The main VSCs are hydrogen sulfide, the smelly gas that every schoolchild knows about, dimethyl sulfide and methyl mercaptan. These are formed in the fissures and cracks in the tongue, the cheeks and between the gums and the teeth where there is a lack of oxygen. The VSCs are emitted by a particular type of bacteria known as anaerobic bacteria that survive in the absence of oxygen. Expose them to oxygen and they cannot function.

These bacteria are not particularly bad: in fact they live in everybody's mouths. It is their action in digesting proteins that release the VSCs and hence the horrible smells. If you are not sure if your breath is bad or not, then clean the inside of your wrist then lick it. Allow the saliva to partially dry so that it becomes concentrated and then smell. The inside of your wrist is warm and will evaporate off the VSCs that you can smell.

However, the route to the cure is the cause. Anaerobic bacteria and food residues. If you keep your mouth clean from protein residues then you can reduce the source of food for these bacteria. Vegetarians will be less liable to suffer from halitosis than meat eaters will, although vegetable protein can also be broken down by the bacteria if allowed to accumulate in the mouth so nobody is completely immune.

The key is the fact that the bacteria are anaerobic. Expose them to oxygen and you either kill them or they stop all activity. If you brush the gums, tongue and cheeks with a soft brush and an oxygenated cleaner, then you will get rid of your bad breath. Use an oxygenated mouthwash and you will also help to pacify or kill these bacteria. You have to get the oxygen right down into the fissures between the papillae of your tongue, and the cracks in your cheeks, and also deep into the space between your teeth and gums.

Use a tongue scraper to coat your tongue with a paste that generates oxygen, then scrape it off. Use the mouthwash regularly, and before you know it, your halitosis and bad breath will be gone. I know, because I suffered. However, people no longer take a step back when I speak to them face to face. I no longer have to talk sideways and put my career in jeopardy because I cannot eyeball people when I speak to them.

If you have bad breath then the same will have happened to you, whether you noticed it or not. People will avoid coming close to you when you speak to them and you will only ever kiss the same girl once. Learn what causes bad breath and how to cure it. Don't suffer any longer, but more importantly, don't make others suffer when you speak to them. There is no need because there is a cure.

If you are looking for more information on how to cure halitosis and get rid of bad breath, check our Pete's website Welsh Health Systems where he will explain the causes in more detail and inform you how to cure your problem.



Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com

About the Author:
If you are looking for more information on how to cure halitosis and get rid of bad breath, check our Pete's website Welsh Health Systems where he will explain the causes in more detail and inform you how to cure your problem.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Health-and-Fitness Articles Via RSS!

Recent Related Articles From Health-and-Fitness

  • Afraid To Kiss? You Can Cure Halitosis Or Bad Breath Easily And Quickly.

    If you flinch when someone of the opposite sex comes close to you in case they smell your bad breath, you need to take some quick effective action. Halitosis can be cured and controlled by the use of oxygenated compounds that create conditions disliked by the anaerobic bacteria responsible for forming malodorous sulphur co ... Read

  • How To Cure Halitosis: Understand What Causes Bad Breathe

    If you are afraid to kiss, and you need know how to cure halitosis, then it is important to understand what causes bad breath. Not 'garlicy' breath, but real bad breath caused by bacteria, clinically termed halitosis.

    The only thing worse than bad breath, it is said, is no breath at all!

    If y ...
    Read

  • Anaerobic Bacteria Love Post-nasal Drip And Cause Bad Breath
    By: Walt Brown | Jan 19th 2008
    This excess mucus condition provides a food source for anaerobic bacteria. Anaerobic means without air. Air, in this case, is oxygen, a gas we need to survive. But the anaerobic bacteria that live in your mouth need no oxygen and they thrive when it is missing from your saliva.

    Research shows that proteins ar ...
    Read

  • Bad Breath: Cause And Cure

    Chronic bad breath, also known as halitosis, is very distressing for those that suffer from it, and is also unpleasant for those that live and work with them. If you noticed people step back when you speak to them, then you definitely need help. This article is designed to provide that help, and point you in the right direc ... Read

  • Halitosis: Cure Your Chronic Bad Breath Today
    By: Jim McDonald | Nov 16th 2006
    Bad breath is something common to everyone at one point or another in their life, even those who brush and floss religiously. We all know that those who eat garlic will smell like it afterwards, but other times the realization that our breath is offensive comes on us unawares. So what causes it, and how can you avoid it? Read

  • Serious, Persistent, Bad Breath Is Treatable
    By: Michael Harvey | Oct 12th 2006
    Chronic halitosis is not simply "pizza breath" but rather a huge crisis affecting social lives of 50 million Americans. It can be permanently treated! Read

  • Bad Breath Symptoms And Cure
    By: Michael Harvey | Oct 20th 2006
    Until recently, most treatments have been generally unsuccessful in resolving bad breath conditions. Serious, persistent, chronic bad breath is now very much treatable. Read

  • Cure For Bad Breath- Get Mouthwashes That Work
    By: Kelvin Ho | Sep 26th 2008
    Under normal conditions a mouthwash should help clear bad breath because it helps kill bacteria in the mouth and make it smell fresh. Sometimes, however, some kinds of mouthwash serve to aggravate the bad breath problem. Read

  • Find Your Cause Of Bad Breath And Eliminate It Forever

    The basic cause of bad breath is the presence of bacteria in your mouth. But the reasons for the presence of bacteria can be varied. There are some simple actions you can start with at home to eliminate bad breath. In rare cases, the cause of halitosis can be more serious and may require a visit to a dentist. Read

  • Learn The Stuff Behind Bad Breath Causes And Cures
    By: Kelvin Ho | Sep 8th 2008
    Bad breath (halitosis) is a common for many people and can be rather embarrassing. Bad breath can be a big turn off for those around you and if it is a condition that you suffer from long term you may notice that people may stand back from you when talking to you. Read


Copyright © 2005-2011 eArticlesOnline, LLC - All Rights Reserved
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy