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Want to know the TOP bad breath causes and how to avoid them? These are tested and approved causes/fixers you need to know about, to make your breath smell RIDICULOUSLY good!
Having bad breath (also known as halitosis) can be extremely embarrassing, and if you’re anything like me, you are willing to do all the research you possibly can do, to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
As a Dental Hygienist, I am giving you from experience, the TOP SECRETS of bad breath causes and how to start fixing them right away!
You are going to learn about all the top bad breath causes, from foods that you eat, poor oral hygiene, tonsil stones, smoking, gum disease, medication, and more.
After learning about all of these bad breath causes, you are going to be a pro and extra prepared for that next outing with your family, friends, or even a hot date ๐
This post is all about the top bad breath causes and bad breath treatment and remedies, that EVERYONE should know about.
Top Bad Breath Causes | Bad Breath Smelling Causes
1. Bad Breath Causing | Foods/Drinks
Believe it or not, food can be the toughest one to avoid, especially if you love garlic and/or onions! Oh.. and did I mention COFFEE? ๐
What causes bad breath from the stomach?
When we consume these foods/drinks, like garlic, onions, spices, coffee, etc. they will digest in our stomach and cause a bad foul sulfur odor in return.
If you are consuming them on a regular basis, this foul odor can come back up on your breath and the worst part is, it can stick with you for more than just a day. Hint Hint… let us see how good you smell after a sweaty workout ๐.
How to fix bad breath from stomach?
Unfortunately, the only way you can get rid of this is by consuming less OR even NO garlic, onions, spices, coffee, etc.
There are many options to stop bad breath, for a little while…
I mean you could always swig back some mouthwash, use a bad breath spray, chew a super tasty piece of minty gum!
Or pop in some tablets to stop bad breath, like this one ๐
But let’s face the facts, this is a SUPER temporary fix.
2. Anaerobic Bacteria (Yucky Bugs) on Your Tongue
Not brushing your tongue can make your breath smell like poop o ๐
I’m serious.
The top of our tongue contains little hair follicles that can trap anaerobic bacteria which can lead to bad breath.
Brushing your tongue twice a day with your toothbrush, or/and using a tongue scraper daily, can eliminate smelly bacteria that can grow on your tongue.
Recap… Always clean your tongue, when you brush your teeth ๐
Also, using an oxygen-based mouthwash like peroxyl can eliminate these anaerobic bacteria on the top of your tongue, since these bugs hate oxygen!
If you don’t have this mouthwash at home, you can always make some at home.
Add one cup water, one cup peroxide (or one tbsp. baking soda, if you don’t have peroxide), and add a minty/peppermint essential oil, and voila, you just made homemade mouthwash, Boom. You’re awesome.
3. POOR ORAL HYGIENE
In general, if youโre not brushing and flossing your teeth on a REGULAR or CONSISTENT basis, this can lead to poor oral health and in return can contribute to bad breath.
Brushing your teeth twice a day, and even better with hydrogen peroxide-based toothpaste, flossing once a day, and using mouthwash, can eliminate bad breath almost instantly.
This all happens by constantly removing those yucky, smelly bacteria that can be created in our mouths.
So.. EVERY DAY BRUSHING + FLOSSING = YUMMY BREATH, GOT IT? K
4. Tonsil Stones | Bad Breath from Throat Mucus | Post Nasal Drip
Bad breath causes tonsil stones. Our tonsils are located in the back of our mouth, its main purpose is to trap bacteria/viruses from entering our bodies, unfortunately sometimes this area gets an overload of bacteria collected (tonsil stones), and this can become a tragic disgusting/smelly situation.
Practicing meticulous home care can reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth, and in return, it can eliminate bad breath. In some situations, some people can get chronic tonsil stones.
I recommend using a Waterpik for removal, and/or a cotton tip and peroxyl mouthwash.
If it becomes bothersome, your tonsils can be removed, visit your dental professional for recommendations and if you are a fit to get your tonsils removed.
How to get rid of bad breath from throat? (Post Nasal Drip)
Post nasal drip is basically build-up from your nose/throat mucus, yum.
The naughty bugs in our mouth thrive on this mucus, and then they poop/fart a stinky one in your mouth. Sinusitis is an inflammation/infection of our sinuses, this can be a pain in the but if you constantly get a sinus infection.
The constant mucus drip is not only annoying in the back of our throat but also contributes to the by-products of bad bugs (farts).
This can be a whole other topic, but some advice if your in this situation. Avoid/limit dairy products, which can thicken the mucus, (makes congestion and the post nasal drip even worse).
And of course, practice meticulous homecare, if you have you have an overload of mucus, it will also build upon the top of your tongue (white/yellow film), and that can make the situation even more smelly. Think tongue scraper!
5. Dry Mouth bad Breath Causes
A dry mouth can make the not-so-good bugs over-populate in your mouth. Medication is one of the topmost reasons why we can get dry mouth. Specifically, medications that are for allergies.
Other reasons why you would get dry mouth are, smoking, dehydration, certain medical conditions, and using products that contain alcohol.
Smoking can obviously hang out of your breath for a while, especially, if you’re not constantly cleaning your tongue. Smoking is a sneaky gum disease instigator.
When I see patients who smoke, they rarely bleed, and that’s because smoking keratinizes (makes things hard/protection) the tissue in our mouth, making it seem like your gums look healthy, but in reality, you most likely have gum disease (periodontitis) or are on your way to have gum disease.
When your mouth gets dry, especially from alcohol, it damages our microbiome (friendly bacteria) in our mouth, and this leads to getting dry mouth, and stinky breath.
Staying hydrated, and always carrying a water bottle with you can make a big difference with dry mouth.
Chewing on sugar-free gum, with xylitol, which has antibacterial properties and can increase your body to produce more saliva, and in return can wash away bad stinky bacteria.
Biotene products are a great way to keep dry mouth symptoms at bay.
Now I’m the last person to tell you not to drink alcohol ๐ So drink in moderation, and avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol, ESPECIALLY, if you have a dry mouth.
6. A NOT so Healthy Gut
I’m sure your sick of hearing about this one, but it’s true, having an abundant amount of bad bacteria in the gut, can offset the number of good bacteria in your stomach, which in return can give you a pleasant-smelling breath!
Eating fermented foods, like yogurt (low sugar), kefir products, and kimchi or sour krout can be your best friend in this case, or you can buy a good probiotic like this one, and take it daily.
Eating probiotic fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, and kefir increases the good bacteria in your gut (the large and small intestines and the stomach).
And when good bacteria thrive, thereโs less room for the bad bac, which can give off a not-so-pleasant smell that travels up the digestive tract and into your mouth.
7. Not visiting ME! Your Dental Hygienist ๐
Not visiting your dentist, can contribute to your bad breath! As a hygienist, I not only clean your teeth and make them pretty but I also give education and recommendations to each patient.
Each patient is unique, it is not one size fits all, some of my patients need a little more love than others. I have patients that come every 3montns, 4months, and 6months.
Depending on if they have gum disease, gingivitis, are currently pregnant, or are undergoing radiation tx. and from there we make an informed decision and we make a customized cleaning recall!
If you have not had a cleaning in a long time, I guarantee, your breath is disgusting ๐
But we can always fix it! I can smell someone’s breath a mile away, if they have active gum disease, it’s one of my talents. I’ll be talking about gum disease in another post, so stay tuned!
In conclusion, there’s a lot of causes out there that can give us bad breath, and as you can see, we want to have an even amount of good vs. bad bugs in our mouth!
This also explains, why individuals who have Covid or have had Covid are also experiencing bad breath!
My BEST ADVICE, start with visiting your dental professional, this is always the best way to go!
They are very knowledgeable, and can give you the no-BS- Best Advice ๐
I always tell my patients, don’t fall for gimmicky products, find out the root cause and go from there, and obviously follow the advice your dental hygienist gives you!
Have you had any of these issues? Leave a comment or question below, if you need help! ๐
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