Halitosis or Bad Breath: Causes, Prevention and Treatment

Bad breadth is one of the most intimidating oral problems that literally stops you from freely interacting with the world around you. Though not a visible menace, it disrupts your day-to-day well being. In almost every profession, you need to communicate closely with your colleagues. Individuals suffering from the issue of a bad breadth tend to either communicate as less as possible or better still munch on a chewing gum frequently! Well, both are harmful. One hampers your oral health and the other, your personality.

Techniques to keep away a foul breath are many. You can adopt any one of them to get rid of your problem. But it is utterly essential to go down to the root cause of the issue.

Primarily, poor oral hygiene is the main cause of ‘Halitosis’ - the medical term used for bad breath. When the teeth and mouth is not cleaned properly, and food particles are left in between the teeth gaps, bacteria starts feeding on them. The reaction that takes place lets fermentation to set and rotting starts. When these rotten particles stay back in your oral cavity, it culminates into the building up of plaque. Thus your mouth starts emitting that bad smell. Plaque, when still left uncleaned hardens to form tartar. Besides, it damages your teeth color too!

• DRY MOUTH - Dry mouth causes breath to turn stinky. Saliva is actually responsible for keeping the mouth cleansed. Therefore, when your mouth is dry, food particles remain back in your mouth and your breath turns stinky. Dry mouth can be caused by insufficient drinking water or might be the result of taking certain medications.

• GINGIVITIS - Gingivitis is the term for the disease of the gum. In fact, a bad breath is a significant symptom itself for Gingivitis. Maintaining a good oral hygiene is the only remedy in this case. Neglecting the case of gingivitis would give rise to the condition of Periodontitis, which further damages your jaw bones!

• IMPROPER DIET - Erratic diets are highly responsible for Halitosis. Crash diets and fasting frequently gives rise to that foul smell in your mouth. Particular foods like onion, garlic and even a cup of coffee can cause your breath to stink. Some Indian spices also cause a terrible smell to linger on long after you have finished eating.

• INDIGESTION - Food that remains undigested in your stomach makes the bile and stomach acid flow backwards. This is known as acid reflux. It is heavily responsible for the malodour.

One of the commonest FAQs concerning the foul-breath is ‘how do I know whether I’m suffering from Halitosis? All you need to do is lick the inner surface of your wrist and allow it to dry. Smell it after a few seconds and if it smells pungent, you’re a victim of the disease!

Some common ways to keep bad breath at bay:

• Your tongue should be cleaned thoroughly everyday


• Brushing your teeth twice a day is a must


• In case of the condition of dry mouth, drinking plenty of water


• Munch on some healthy food, especially that requires you to chew. It will keep your saliva flowing.


• In case of an urgent meeting or a party that must be attended, chewing cardamom proves to be helpful in masking your breath. However, this is not a permanent solution.


• Before laying down after your meals, wait at least two to three hours. It will help you counter the bad breath that might be caused by acid reflux.

Halitosis often goes unrecognized as a disease. Individuals tend to shrug off the problem temporarily, simply by chewing a gum or spraying a mouth freshener. This is a very wrong practice as it only lingers the problem and allows it to settle down in your body! One should immediately hunt for bad breath treatment alternatives nearby as son as he or she encounters the problem. If you are already following a good dental hygiene routine, consult your dentist to find out the root cause before going in for the remedies.