The Causes of Bad Breath

Did you know that bad breath is an actual medical condition? There’s even a scientific word for it, “halitosis”, to show just how common it is! Bad breath can be embarrassing to have, but you don’t need to worry about it unless you start noticing that it’s occuring all the time. There are many reasons for bad breath, and most of them are pretty harmless.

The Food You Eat

Specific foods we eat can cause bad breath. Garlic and onions, though delicious, can cause you to smell until you “pass them” out of your body! That means you might have a few hours of stink left. But that doesn’t mean the bad breath will stick with you forever. Other kinds of spices and strong-smelling food like cheese and fish can leave a smell behind after you eat them. Or you can get food stuck in your teeth, which can cause bad breath too. Food is the most common cause of bad breath, so if you want to smell good at school, try to eat something that doesn’t have as much of a stench.

Dental Hygiene Habits

Another reason for halitosis is poor dental hygiene habits. That means you have to make sure you brush your teeth and floss properly every day. If not, things can get stuck in your mouth, or without refreshing fluoride, your mouth can start to smell stale. Basically, without brushing and flossing, food and plaque can build on your teeth and gums can cause gingivitis. Not only does that make your gums bleed and your teeth look yellow, but it gives you bad breath too. Why not avoid all of that and just brush and floss?

Infections And Illnesses

If your bad breath is consistent but you’re not eating smelly foods and you brush your teeth properly, you might want to consider that you could be suffering from some form of illness. Pneumonia and bronchitis can cause halitosis and are pretty serious, but they usually cause other, more severe symptoms. You could have thrush in your throat, which is a fungus can grow in the area. Thrush can be caused by stress and other factors, and it is not severe. In addition, if you are having problems with your salivary glands and not getting enough saliva to your mouth, that’s called “dry mouth” and could be causing halitosis.