Monday, October 25, 2010

Cause of Bad Breath - Your Key to Get Rid of Smelly Breath

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Darren_A._Wumoult]Darren A. Wumoult

Bad breath is a fairly common oral condition that affects many of people in the world, just some more than others. People with bad breath are often stigmatized as being inconsiderate or lazy because they don't to maintain basic oral hygiene like brushing their teeth but the truth is that poor oral hygiene only accounts for a small percentage of cases of bad breath. In reality, many people are unaware of the many reasons why bad breath can arise and they are far more common and innocuous than people think.
Bad breath is actually caused by an accumulation of bad bacteria in the mouth that combine to produce sulphur molecules that bring about the foul smell typical of smelly breath sufferers. It can also be caused by particles of food stuck in hard to reach places in between teeth, underneath the tongue and at the back of the mouth that, left alone and undisturbed, degenerate into smaller parts that also cause your breath condition. Beside this basic underlying cause of bad breath, there are also other normal causes.

Food that you consume
Some food like onions and garlic have substances that cause chemical reactions to happen after ingestion which contribute to causing halitosis. These chemicals stay in the digestive system long after being consumed and this explains why the foul smell can remain in a person's breath long after a meal. Avoid these foods if you do not wish to compromise your clean smelling breath and cause your mouth to produce an odour.

Smelly breath is sometimes caused by nasal problems in the respiratory tract or nose. For example, if there is an excess of mucus in the nose, this could move to the back of the throat where it can cover the area at the back of the throat with a thin layer of slime and in a way protect the bacteria from being washed away. This is a possible cause of bad breath. To solve this, it is recommended that you buy a nasal spray that ban be found at most pharmaceutical stores and use it before sleeping each night.

Gum disease
Foul breath can also be caused by forms of gum disease such as periodontal disease. If you find that your gums are often red and swollen and perhaps brushing of flossing causes bleeding, it is possible that you have a certain form of gum disease that can be one of the causes of bad breath. In this case, this might be indicative of a larger problem and it might be a good time to see a dentist for further diagnosis.

Stress and other factors
Studies have shown that stress is likely to increase the probability of people having worse breath than others. It is very much possible that stress and other external factors like environment and genetic reason can cause an increase in severity of smelly breath, although it is difficult to explain how exactly these factors are linked. This is a possible cause of bad breath.

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Cause-of-Bad-Breath---Your-Key-to-Get-Rid-of-Smelly-Breath&id=3335647] Cause of Bad Breath - Your Key to Get Rid of Smelly Breath

The Role of the Mouth in Bad Breath

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dr_Charles_John]Dr Charles John

"Paramount Home Entertainment" commissioned a national survey of single women aged 25 and over to find the number 1 reason why they would turn down a date. The survey was to coincide with a film starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker about a man who has yet to leave his parent's home.

Among all women surveyed the reason they would refuse a date was -

"Bad breath" - 37%
"He lives with his parents - 25%
"He dresses poorly," - 8%
"He's a sports fanatic" - 5%
"He Makes less Money than me" - 2%

"Harlequin Romance" recently ran a survey of North Americans to find out more about what turns them on and makes them tick romantically. 57% of men and 58% of women in North America all cited the same romantic relationship killer: Halitosis

That's right -halitosis was the most cited reason to 'run away from a romantic relationship' by men, beating out excessive sweating, smoking, and other unhealthy habits.

For women, the only thing considered worse about a potential mate than halitosis, was excessive drinking.

According to the survey, ladies would tolerate a man who sweat too much, smoked, had a fake orange tan and hair implants before they would become romantically involved with a man who had chronic breath odour.

"The Daily Star" recently published a survey.

Women rate bad breath as their biggest worry before a romantic encounter, with 78% fretting about it. Researchers found girls were more scared of having smelly breath than of their partner disliking their appearance. Only 4% said they were concerned about what undies to wear.

A spokeswoman, said: "If you feel happy with your teeth you'll smile, and that boosts others' perceptions of you."

Halitosis can wreck you life. It can wreck it socially, professionally and it can wreck it psychologically.

1) The Mouth.

It is estimated that up to 90% of the causes of bad breath, originate in the mouth!

a) The Tongue.

The main culprit in the mouth is the top of the tongue. It is here that huge numbers of harmless bacteria live and thrive, feeding off dead mouth cells and food debris. Some of these bacteria are called anaerobic bacteria which means they thrive in the absence of oxygen. Now the surface of the tongue is covered in tiny grooves, barely visible to the naked eye, but in comparison to bacteria, they are massive. Therefore, many, many, anaerobic bacteria can settle in the grooves, where they become covered with dead mouth cells, other bacteria and food debris. In this way, their oxygen supply is cut off, which is exactly what they love - anaerobic conditions.

All this may sound a bit unpleasant, but that's only half the story. Some of these anaerobic bacteria produce substances called Volatile Sulphour Compounds (VSCs) which smell like rotten eggs, or like decaying flesh.

"It is these VSCs that are the cause of bad breath."

Other parts of the mouth also contribute to the overall bad smell, but are not as much as the top of the tongue.

b) Inter-dental Spaces.

These are the spaces between the teeth. They are usually small pyramid-shaped areas that easily trap food, plaque and dead mouth cells, again providing ideal conditions for those VSC-producing bacteria

c) The Gums.

Bacteria growing below the gum line have a foul smell, and in my 30 years of clinical experience, diseased gums definitely involved in the production of bad breath.


Poorly made filling, crowns, veneers, bridges etc., can trap food, plaque and the VSC-producing bacteria

2) The Nose.

The second major source of bad breath is the nose. However the odors that originate here have a different smell to those of the mouth.

Nasal odors may be due to sinus infections or foreign bodies that have become lodged (often seen in young children).

3) The Tonsils

The tonsils are considered a minor cause of bad breath, accounting for some 3-5% of cases.

However, about 7% of the population suffers from tonsiloliths that smell extremely foul and these can cause bad breath.

4) The Stomach

Some less than honest businesses, using powerful advertising, have attempted to foster the belief - that bad breath comes from the stomach rather than from the mouth.

The stomach is a very uncommon source of bad breath (except in belching). The oesophagus (a muscular tube that directs food and drink from the mouth to the stomach), is closed at the stomach end, so smells are not able to escape.

5) Systemic diseases

Bad breath that is caused by disease, is extremely rare, so I merely

include them just for the sake of completeness.

a) Chronic liver failure b) Bronchial and lung infections c) Renal infections d) Renal failure e) Some forms of cancer f) "Fish Odour Syndrome" g) Diabetes mellitus. h) Metabolic dysfunction.

If you suffered from any of the above, you would also suffer from many additional symptoms.

"You should not assume that you suffer from these conditions or diseases. Bad breath is nearly always just bad breath"

6) Diet.

There are certain foods and drinks to avoid if you wish to keep your breath fresh.

Garlic Fish Cheese Onions Meat Alcohol

Bad breath is also more common if you are obese.

So, to sum up:

"The commonest source of bad breath is the mouth and the commonest source of bad breath in the mouth is the upper surface of the tongue."

For the latest information on TMJ problems and other dental matters, please visit my blog at: http://www.tmjspecialist.org

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Role-of-the-Mouth-in-Bad-Breath&id=2550660] The Role of the Mouth in Bad Breath

Bad Breath - The Number One Cause of a Disappointing Social Life

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Peter_Dawson]Peter Dawson

Are you noticing that your friends don't seem quite as friendly lately as they once did? Perhaps your partner seems a little distant. Maybe you're having trouble even finding a partner, it just seems that no one wants to get close to you these days.


Bad breath can be a real curse. It's something that you may not even know you have, and even your best friend is reluctant to tell you about. Having breath that smells can affect all your relationships very seriously, and often the person who suffers from bad breath doesn't even know they've got it.

Halitosis is the technical term. It means that your breath smells, and anyone close to you smells it. Usually it smells bad, it's unlikely that it smells good, and so anyone who gets too close to you will withdraw to a safer distance just to avoid the smell.

And forget kissing.

In fact bad breath can be one of the biggest factors in an inability to maintain good relationships, including friendships and romantic attachments.

What is bad breath and what causes it? Is there anything you can do about it if you have it? Lets have a look at what bad breath is.

There can be a relatively wide range of causes, and the cause may vary quite a bit from one person to another. For example it is well known that eating certain foods like garlic can result in an offensive odor, both on the breath and often more generally through the body. There are various foods that can cause your breath to smell.

There are also causes that are more specific and can, if left unchecked, be more permanent and difficult to control. For example there are dental conditions like periodontal disease which can have a marked effect on the freshness of the breath. Poor brushing of teeth can lead to excess plaque which in turn can lead to gingivitis, also a culprit in bad breath.

There are various chronic diseases which can also lead to bad breath as well. Various lung diseases or liver diseases, for example, can cause bad breath. And that isn't all the medical conditions that you could be suffering from that can cause halitosis, some of which you may not even know you have.

Even some nose and throat infections can be responsible.

Then there's the obvious causes, like smoking.

And there's more causes of bad breath too. The list can be quite extensive.

So how do you know if you have it? You can stand in front of yourself and sniff the breeze. Well of course the first thing you could do is to ask someone close to you to tell you if your breath smells. That might be a little embarrassing.

Alternatively just breathe on the back of your hand and breath in through your nose. You should know just from that test if you have it or not.

The good news is that, in most cases, there are some simple steps to take to eliminate halitosis. In some more complicated cases medical intervention is required, but it is more likely for you that there is a simple home remedy for bad breath that can be inexpensive to use and quite effective. Often bad breath can be a thing of the past in no time.

And if you banish it you'll immediately notice an improvement in your friendships, and romantic attachments. It's probably the simplest thing you can do to improve your sex life.

So if you're noticing that things aren't quite right with your social life consider the possibility that your breath smells. It's simple, in most cases, to fix, and will liven up your social life more than you could imagine.

Peter has written a book which you can get at his website about Bad Breath Home Remedies full of tips and tricks to curing bad breath. Find it at http://battle-bad-breath.com/

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Bad-Breath---The-Number-One-Cause-of-a-Disappointing-Social-Life&id=2491618] Bad Breath - The Number One Cause of a Disappointing Social Life