A good way to confirm your bad breath is to place both hands in the shape of a shell in front of your mouth and blow slowly, and then breathe in the air. However, for this test to work, you need to stay speechless and with your mouth closed for at least 10 minutes because the mouth is too close to the nose and so the smell is accustomed to the smell of the mouth and you may not feel who has bad breath.
Another way to confirm this is to ask someone else, who is reliable and very close, to tell you if you have bad breath. If the result is positive, what you are advised to do is invest in proper tooth and mouth cleaning, brushing your teeth every day after eating and before bedtime to eliminate as much germs, food debris and plaque as possible . However, if the condition persists, an appointment with the dentist is indicated because dental treatment may be required.
When the dentist observes that there is no reason for bad breath in the mouth, other causes should be investigated, and in this case halitosis may be caused by some disease in the throat, stomach or even more serious illnesses, including cancer.
Main Causes of Bad Breath
The main causes of halitosis are inside the mouth, being caused mainly by the lingual coating that is the dirt that covers the whole tongue. But cavities, gingivitis, bacterial plaque, rotten teeth, use of improperly sized dentures are also among the most common causes of bad breath. Learn how to solve each of these causes and learn about other possible causes:
1. Dirt on tongue
Most of the time bad breath is caused by the accumulation of bacteria in the tongue that leaves its surface with a whitish, yellowish color, brown or gray in color. More than 70% of people with bad breath, when they clean the tongue properly, get a pure breath.
- What to do: Whenever you brush your teeth, also use a tongue cleaner that you can buy at pharmacies, drugstores or the internet. It is very simple to use, just press through every tongue, back and forth, to completely remove dirt from the tongue. When cleaning the cleaner for the first time you can notice the amount of dirt that can be removed and it is ideal to continue passing the cleaner until it is completely clean and pink. Ideally, you should always use this cleanser after brushing your teeth, every day to prevent dirt from accumulating on your tongue again.
2. Cavities or other dental problems
Cavities, bacterial plaque, gingivitis and other mouth diseases like periodontitis are also common causes of bad breath because in this case the proliferation of bacteria inside the mouth is very large and these emanate characteristic odor that can harm the individual's social life.
- What to do: You should go to the dentist to solve each problem and always brush the teeth, gingiva, the inside of the cheeks and the tongue very well to avoid the appearance of new cavities or bacterial plaques, for example. See all you need to do to brush your teeth properly.
3. Use dental prosthesis
People who use some type of denture are more likely to have bad breath because it is more difficult to keep the mouth clean and the plate itself can accumulate dirt and leftovers, especially if it is not of the ideal size, with a perfect fit inside the mouth . Small spaces between the plaque and the gum may allow the accumulation of food scraps, all of which bacteria that produce the odor of odor need to multiply.
- What to do: Brush your teeth and the entire inside of the mouth and also thoroughly clean the dentures every day before bed. There are solutions that the dentist may suggest to let the denture soak overnight, but before putting this prosthesis back in the mouth in the morning, you should wash your mouth again to keep your breath pure.
4. Stay many hours without eating
By spending more than 5 hours without eating anything it is normal to get bad breath and that is why upon waking in the morning this odor is always present. This is because the salivary glands produce less saliva, which helps to digest food and keep the mouth clean.
- What to do: It is advised to avoid staying more than 3 or 4 hours without eating, during the day, and even if you need to fast for longer, you should always drink small sips of water to cleanse the mouth and stimulate saliva production . Sucking on a clove can be a very effective natural remedy in this case.
Learn some other tips to eliminate bad breath naturally in the following video:
5. Eating foods that make your breath worse
Certain foods can cause bad breath, as is the case with broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, these vegetables favor the formation of sulfur inside the body and this gas can be eliminated by the anus or mouth. But foods like garlic and onion also favor bad breath only by the act of chewing them because it contains a very strong and characteristic odor that can remain inside the mouth for hours.
- What to do: The ideal is to avoid frequent consumption of these foods, but also it is also important to always brush your teeth and clean your mouth very well after consumption as the breath returns to fresher. See a larger list of foods that cause gas and therefore favor bad breath.
6. Throat infection or sinusitis
When the person has a sore throat and has a pus in the throat or when they have sinusitis, it is normal to have bad breath because in this case there are many bacteria that exude this bad smell in the region of the mouth and nasal cavity.
- What to do: Gargling with warm water and salt are excellent to help remove pus from the throat, naturally eliminating bad breath. The inhalation of warm water with eucalyptus is also excellent to fluidize the nasal secretions, favoring its withdrawal, being a great home remedy against sinusitis.
7. Stomach problems
In the case of maldigestion or gastritis it is common for burp to burp, these gases passing through the esophagus and reaching the mouth can also cause bad breath.
- What to do: Improving digestion by always eating in a small amount, in a more varied way and always eating some fruit at the end of each meal is a great natural strategy to combat bad breath caused by stomach problems. See more examples in home remedy for the stomach.
Besides these 7 causes, smoking also causes bad breath because nicotine harms the teeth and favors the establishment and proliferation of bacteria that when associated with poor oral hygiene cause halitosis. Also, the habit of sucking a bullet or a chewing gum to improve the breath only worsens the situation because these normally contain sugar that facilitate the proliferation of bacteria inside the mouth, aggravating the problem. In this case the ideal is to stop smoking. Here are some tips on what to do here.
