What is Halitosis?
Everyone will experience having bad breath at some point in their lives, but what is the difference between having bad breath and having halitosis? Unlike a strong smell emanating from your mouth after eating certain types of foods or right when you wake up, halitosis is an unpleasant smell that persists even after brushing your teeth, sucking on a mint, or using mouthwash. Halitosis is very common and can be caused by all sorts of things, ranging from the types of foods you eat, what type of oral hygiene routine you follow, lifestyle habits, and in some cases, underlying oral or health conditions.
Although halitosis is typically easily treated and not cause for concern, it is important to be mindful of whether you have bad breath, and if so, what your bad breath smells like, as certain types of bad breath can be indicative of different underlying causes. To provide a better understanding of what halitosis is, how it can be treated, and steps you can take to prevent it from happening, please refer to the following.
What Causes Bad Breath?
The most common reason for bad breath is poor oral hygiene and/or diet and lifestyle habits, such as smoking. If you do not brush and floss your teeth twice daily and/or schedule regular examinations with your dentist, you increase your risk of developing gum disease or other oral health issues. Your tongue and tonsils can also trap bacteria and food particles, which can result in halitosis. While gum disease or other oral health issues are the most common reasons for bad breath, other causes include:
- Certain foods: Certain foods can cause you to have temporary bad breath, such as spices, garlic, and/or onions.
- Diet: A diet that is high in sugar or protein or low in carbohydrates can cause halitosis. Bacteria naturally found in your mouth can feed on sugars, which in turn can cause a sour smell. A diet that is high in protein foods may result in more sulfurous gases being released due to some foods being difficult to metabolize, whereas a diet that is low in carbs can alter your body’s metabolism, which can cause you to develop bad breath, which is why it is important to eat a healthy, balanced diet.
- Coffee: Because of the intensity of flavor in certain coffees, in addition to the fact that drinking coffee decreases saliva production, people who regularly drink coffee may notice that they also have issues with halitosis.
- Alcohol: Like coffee, alcohol also decreases your natural production of saliva, which creates an environment where odor-causing bacteria are able to flourish. As such, the more you drink the alcohol, the more likely you are to have bad breath.
- Tobacco use: Use of any type of tobacco product can cause bad breath and increase your risk of developing serious oral and other health issues. In addition to drying out your mouth and leaving behind a naturally unpleasant odor, use of tobacco also increases your risk of developing gum disease, which can result in chronic halitosis.
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