Bad breath can be embarrassing and can also cause low self-esteem. That’s why you find people buying gum, mints, mouthwashes and other products designed to fight bad breath. But many of these products are only temporary measures because they don’t address the cause of the problem.
According to the Mayo Clinic, certain foods, health conditions and habits are among the causes of bad breath. In many cases, you can improve bad breath with consistent proper dental hygiene. If simple self-care techniques don’t solve the problem, see your dentist or physician to be sure a more serious condition isn’t causing your bad breath.
They state that the causes of bad breath are mostly:
– Certain food such as onions, garlic and spices.
– Tobacco products. Smoking causes its own unpleasant mouth odour.
– Dry mouth. Saliva helps cleanse your mouth, removing
particles that cause bad odours.
– Medications. Some medications can indirectly produce bad breath by contributing to a dry mouth.
– Infections in your mouth. Bad breath can be caused by surgical wounds after oral surgery, such as tooth removal, or as a result of tooth decay, gum disease or mouth sores.
– Other mouth, nose and throat conditions. Bad breath can occasionally stem from small stones that form in the tonsils and are covered with bacteria that produce odour.
Treatment
– Visit your dentist often.
-Avoid cavities and lower your risk of gum disease, and consistently practice good oral hygiene.
– Your dentist may recommend a mouth rinse that kills the bacteria. Your dentist may also recommend toothpaste that contains an antibacterial agent to kill the bacteria that cause plaque buildup.
– Brush and floss more often.
– Eat more yoghurt.
– Drink enough water daily.
Having bad breath is not the end of the world –you just need to do the right things for your breath to stay fresh.
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