Halitosis or bad breath can lead to a huge amount of trouble. It can really offend some people, break up a business deal, blight a date and leave you with just about no self esteem. Just the anxiety and the doubt that lies in that annoying little thought, "is it my breath?" can be enough to foul up anybody's day. But let's just face reality. Yes, everybody can have bad breath at least sporadically and some have such a serious problem that a regular bad breath solution just will not resolve their situation. So What causes bad breath? Most frequently halitosis or bad breath is caused by the action of mouth bacteria primarily on the tongue - and mostly in awkward to reach places, and on and around the teeth. As these bacteria feed on the food particles and plaque they find, sulfur compounds are released which cause the bad smells. Still, this sometimes is only part of the story and not all of those odors coming out of the mouth might be a result of bacterial action. A useful bad breath solution really is derived from identifying exactly what may be contributing to the problem so let's look at some other typical questions about bad breath causes. Is food a cause of bad breath? As I'm sure you actually know, foods can be a non-bacterial source of bad breath. The notorious ones are garlic and onions which have smelly molecules that can remain in our system, and eventually reach our lungs so that when we breath we start to stink up the locale. Also, because of the link of sorts between acid reflux and halitosis, avoiding greasy foods, caffeine and, most unfortunately, chocolate, which could cause acid reflux may end up as a part of your bad breath solution. How does smoking affect my breath? It will definitely be bad for your breath. Aside from the fact that even smokers find the stink of stale tobacco smoke revolting, smoking dries out your mouth so that the amount of saliva is reduced. That saliva, which you now don't have, would have acted as a sort of natural mouthwash to eliminate the bacteria and their wastes from your mouth. If you are a smoker, you proabably don't realize just how bad you may be smelling to non-smokers since it may suppress your senses of taste and smell. Is it possible for bad breath to originate in my stomach? Indeed, this can happen. A condition named digestive halitosis is a result of the ongoing functioning of our digestive enzymes. Whenever there's no food to work on, they can start effecting the stomach lining which can create a nasty odor like rotting food which comes out in your breath. Normally it's fairly simple to get rid of digestive halitosis since it disappears once you put some food in there for them to work on. What do acid reflux and halitosis have to do with each other?|How are acid reflux and halitosis related?|What's the connection between acid reflux and halitosis?|Are acid reflux and halitosis related?} Heartburn or acid reflux is the backwards flow of stomach acids up the esophagus. Aside from being pretty unpleasant, it can deliver more food for bacteria to your mouth along with some unpleasant smelling stuff from the stomach. It is an indirect relationship but bad breath is one more reason to resolve heartburn. The most basic remedy, in the majority of cases, revolves around reducing odor causing bacteria in the mouth. So, the simplest bad breath solution is to maintain excellent oral hygiene. Flossing is required because it helps eliminate both plaque and any food particles that are left by brushing between teeth or at the gum line. Brushing assists in this process. Scraping (gently) your tongue is particularly important. Since brushing it can be uncomfortable and may not be completely effective unless done carefully with a very soft brush, you might find a tongue scraper is a good alternative. Cavities or abscesses can also contribute to bad breath as well as being painful and causing tooth loss. Seeing your dentist regularly is part of good oral hygiene. Some basic traditional remedies to treat halitosis can also be used to reduce the effects of foods such as onions and garlic. Chewing on parsley or basil or other "greens" releases chlorophyll which is a deodorizer. Citrus fruits will not only stimulate saliva - our built-in natural mouthwash - but their acidity eliminates most mouth bacteria. As an extra plus they also leave your mouth with a tangy fresh scent. As you've probably realized by now, there is no single bad breath solution. Different bad breath causes respond to different remedies and taking a holistic approach will help you not only eliminate bad breath bacteria but also to take care of the other possible causes.
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