Everyone gets bad breath (also called halitosis) occasionally. And because it’s embarrassing, people usually reach for products designed to temporarily relieve bad breath. But you may find that dealing with your bad breath isn’t that simple.
Your diet
If you’ve just eaten some of the foods that can cause bad breath – garlic, onions, etc. - brushing your teeth and tongue and using mouthwash will improve the smell of your breath. But as you digest these foods, they enter your bloodstream, go to your lungs and may affect your breath. So the bad breath may be with you until those foods are fully digested. And, some weight loss plans such as low carbohydrate or high protein diets, may cause your body to go into a state called ketosis. This is where your body burns fat instead of sugar – that’s good for reducing weight, but bad for your breath.
Leftovers!
Many cases of bad breath are caused by food particles in your mouth. They break down and lead to odour-causing bacterial growth on and between teeth, on the tongue and around the gums. If you have dentures and other mouthpieces, they can also have bacteria on them. In these cases, you can avoid bad breath just by maintaining good oral hygiene – brushing, flossing, using an antiseptic mouthwash, looking after your gums, keeping your dentures clean and seeing your dentist regularly.
Smoking
In addition to the many health problems smoking causes, it is also a major cause of bad breath and gum problems.
Medical Issues
If you have gum disease, a yeast infection of the mouth, or a condition called dry mouth, you will have bad breath. Dry mouth (a lack of saliva in your mouth) can be a side effect of certain medicines, caused by problems with your saliva glands, or just because of constant breathing through your mouth. Certain medical problems can also cause bad breath such as postnasal drip, sinus infections, diabetes and some stomach conditions.
So the good news is that most of the time, bad breath is temporary and you can deal with it. But if you have bad breath and good oral care is not helping you, you may want to ask your Dentist to check for other causes. If your Dentist cannot find the problem, it may be a health issue so talk to your Doctor.
Life Brand offers many options that freshen your breath and help with your oral health: Life Brand Antiseptic Mouthwash, in Fresh Mint or Cool Mint flavours, will help stop the growth of bacteria in the mouth and Life Brand Antibacterial Mouthwash, in Soft Mint or Peppermint flavours, will help reduce the build-up of plaque and help prevent gum disease.