What are the Causes of Halitosis?

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There are two primary causes of halitosis. Medical issues that need addressed or poor oral hygiene are the two primary causes of bad breath.

If you don’t drink enough water, don’t brush your teeth at least in the morning and just before bed and don’t floss regularly, you are setting yourself up for halitosis which could probably have either been prevented or at least minimized.

I realize it is not always possible to brush teeth after a meal away from home and bad breath is inevitable if you have enjoyed a meal full of aromatic spices. Finding time to floss can be almost as hard as finding time to brush but traces of food stuck inside the mouth will lose no time in raising a stink!

Regular trips to the dentist to have you teeth cleaned and checked is a big inconvenience for many BUT irregular visits to dentists will inevitably lead to bacterial colonies finding refuge in the gums and they can be extremely difficult to completely dislodge. The mouth is home to some beneficial bacteria but poor oral hygiene allows the bad bacteria to grow out of control. A combination of good personal hygiene and regular dental exams should be enough to rule out most of the typical causes of halitosis.

Medical Causes of Halitosis

Diabetes, cancer and intestinal conditions are just a few of the medical conditions that may make their presence known through bad breath before other symptoms show. Your dentist can often rule out oral causes of your newly acquired case of bad breath so you can go to your medical doctor for further investigation and testing.

Diabetics often have weakened immune systems so bacterial infections are always possible.

Sudden changes in your diet can cause bad breath. Fasting may cause ketosis as does a high protein diet which excludes carbohydrates. The bodies of people trying to lose weight rapidly or to rapidly build muscle mass tend to use fat for energy and smelly ketones build up in blood which often finds their way to the lungs in the process. This is why special diets should be custom prepared for each individual by qualified experts.

Ketones are highly odorous chemicals which are formed when the body burns fat instead of carbohydrate for energy. You body eliminates ketones from the blood through perspiration, in urine, and by way of your exhaled breath.

Now that you know some of the causes of halitosis, it is up to you to take care of yourself and to work with the appropriate healthcare professionals to reduce or eliminate the problem.

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