Imagine you are in a meeting with your boss and other office colleagues etc. You find it difficult to open your mouth and talk freely due to the bad odour present in your mouth. Embarrassing situation right!!

The fact is for 25% of the population bad breath could be a chronic issue. Bad breath can be embarrassing and worrisome for us. Having bad breath is one of the most important reasons for many persons seeking dental care. Bad breath is also known as halitosis.

Though in most cases, bad breath could be treated but it could also indicate a more serious issue in us. By knowing the cause for bad breath, we would be able to eliminate this issue.

Several important reasons or causes for having bad breath are

Poor home care:

This is one important cause for the bad breath problem in us. It is true that we all have mouth bacteria and it could result in bad breath in us. By practising good home oral hygiene, we can remove the mouth bacteria. It is worthy to note that brushing and flossing well could help us to eliminate mouth bacteria and help us to avoid bad breath issues. In other words, poor home oral care would lead to tooth decay or infection and this could further result in bad odour in the mouth.

Gum disease:

Despite brushing our teeth well, we might still have bad breath in the mouth. The reason for that is due to gum disease. It would not be possible for us to just brush and floss the bacteria from the mouth if we have gum disease. The reason for that is because bacteria might be hiding under the gums and it cannot be reached by brush etc. The bad smell in the mouth would be present till gum disease gets treated.

Dry mouth:

We could get bad breath in the mouth if we have dry mouth or xerostomia. It must be taken into account that saliva is a natural way to wash our mouths throughout the day. When saliva reduces, a bad smell occurs in the mouth.

Smoking:

Smoking cigarettes can lead to both bad breath as well as periodontal disease. We could get dry mouth by smoking also. Sometimes, smoking continuously would reduce taste and smell etc and due to this we would be able to recognise bad breath.

Diet:

It is true that consuming certain foods like onions and garlic etc can lead to bad breath issues in us. Intake of low carb didiet or keto diet etc can lead to bad smell in the mouth.

Medications:

Not many would be aware of the fact that certain medications such as nitrates, phenothiazines etc can result in bad breath.

Medical problems:

We could get bad breath issues if we have mouth, nose and throat conditions like chronic sinus, allergy etc. Bad breath can also be due to serious problems like cancer, liver failure, GERD etc