How to Deal With Bad Breath: Remedies and Causes

Globally, the breath freshening market is worth about $13 billion. All over the world, people want to know how to deal with bad breath, and where it comes from. Dealing with the cause of bad breath is the best option, though this isn’t always possible. There are a number of affordable bad breath remedies that can help you manage the problem, as well as solutions to resolve tooth decay causing bad breath.

How to Deal With Bad Breath: Causes

A number of different things can cause bad breath. Sometimes, these causes can be complex, while others have fairly simple solutions. If you have chronic bad breath, talk to your dentist. Your dentist can help you find the cause of bad breath and, hopefully, resolve it. In the meantime, consider the following causes and which might be applicable to you.

Tooth Decay

Bad breath is generally caused by bacteria. These odor-causing bacteria can come from many different conditions, and can live almost anywhere in the respiratory system. One of the most common causes of bad breath is bacteria living in teeth. As the bacteria multiply and break down the structures in and around the tooth, they cause chronic bad breath.

Infection

An infection anywhere in your body can cause a bad odor. Again, this is due to multiplying bacteria attacking tissue. A number of infections can cause bad breath, including a tooth infection, lung infection, nasal infection, sinus infection and more.

Illness

Bad breath is a symptom of a number of different illnesses. As previously mentioned, bacteria can cause bad breath as they invade your mouth, throat or respiratory system. These bacteria cause illnesses. In other cases, illnesses can cause dry mouth, which makes it difficult to cleanse bacteria from the mouth throughout the day. Other diseases, such as diabetes, kidney disease or liver disease cause bad breath in even more ways. Though having chronic bad breath does not necessarily mean you have any of these illnesses, you should talk to your doctor or dentist if you have other symptoms as well.

Certain Foods

Pungent foods, such as garlic, onions or seafood, are perhaps the most well-known culprits of bad breath. However, a number of other dietary causes of bad breath are often overlooked. Foods that are high in sugar content, such as candy and soda, cause bacteria to proliferate, which can cause bad breath.

Medication

Though many illnesses can cause bad breath, unfortunately, so can many medications. Hundreds of medications are known to cause dry mouth, which in turn causes bad breath. This cause of bad breath can be particularly challenging, as many medications are essential for a good quality of life or even survival.

Tobacco

Tobacco products, including cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes like JUUL devices, also cause bad breath. The odor of the tobacco and other chemicals tend to linger in the mouth, but tobacco products also cause dry mouth, which causes bad breath on its own.

How to Deal With Bad Breath: Remedies

Brushing and Flossing

One of the best ways to deal with bad breath is with good dental hygiene. This is not only the best remedy for odor from tooth decay, but also pungent foods and, in some cases, dry mouth. Brush and flossing gets rid of bacteria that cause odors. These bacteria can also cause tooth decay, gingivitis, infections and other problematic conditions that will worsen bad breath. Brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day will help to combat all of these conditions. If your bad breath is persistent, you might also brush and floss quickly after meals.

Drinking Lots of Water

Since dry mouth is a common cause of bad breath, drinking lots of water throughout the day can help to combat this problem. Water can also help to wash away sugars that bacteria feed on. So, it’s a good idea to drink water while you eat. It’s also a good idea to drink water while you drink other beverages, such as sugary sodas, alcoholic beverages, or coffee drinks. Drinking water while enjoying sugary foods and drinks can also help to prevent stains on your teeth. Finally, water has many other beneficial health effects, such as lubricating joints and eliminating toxins.

Treating Dry Mouth

If medications or chronic illnesses give you dry mouth, it can feel like an uphill battle against bad breath. The two previous remedies for bad breath can help, and there are other measures you can take as well. Ask your dentist about rinses or toothpastes made to treat dry mouth. These can help you retain and produce saliva to combat dry mouth.

Eat Healthy Foods

An excess of sugary foods and drinks make it easier for bacteria to multiply. Eating a variety of different types of foods and avoiding foods with a lot of added sugar can help to keep bacteria at a manageable level.

Quit Smoking

Tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are linked to a wide range of health problems, including chronic bad breath. Quitting smoking, chewing, or vaping is one of the best things you can do for your oral health and your overall health, long-term.

Chewing Sugar-Free Gum

Gum with lots of added sugar isn’t going to help with bad breath, since it simply gives bacteria more sugar to feed on. However, sugar-free gum flavored with mint, cinnamon or other good-smelling scents can help you deal with bad breath in two ways. Chewing gum helps to stimulate saliva production, which will help to rinse away odor-causing bacteria. The scent on the sugar-free gum will also help to cover the smell of bad breath.

Make an Appointment with a Dentist

Bad breath alone is not an indicator of illness, but if you have other symptoms, there may be an underlying condition causing persistent bad breath. Try to keep track of your symptoms by writing them down. If the symptoms are related to your teeth or gums, make an appointment with your dentist. Or, if you have other symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor.

Everyone has bad breath once in a while. But if you frequently have bad breath that doesn’t go away, your dentist may be able to help you find the cause and resolve it. Make an appointment with a dentist in the Las Vegas area today to learn more.