How to Cure Bad Breath

As comedian Johnny Dark used to say in an impersonation of a tactless Charles Bronson doing a breath mint ad, "What the hell did you do...swallow your socks?"

If people at work keep coming over and offering you Altoids, maybe you should heed the message. To test your breath, sit quietly and breathe through your nose for three to four minutes. Cup your hands over your mouth and nose and exhale. What do you smell? If it is noxious and sulfuric, you've definitely got a social problem.

Bad breath may be an intensely private matter, but it has dire consequences for those around the offender. It can break up marriages and ruin careers. Most people who have it probably are not even aware of their stinky oral emissions. Still, just take a look at the array of gums, mints, toothpastes, and mouthwashes at the drugstore, and you can be assured somebody is aware of it. Unfortunately for the afflicted, most of these products are just so much gargle-and-spit. They work for a few minutes and dissipate. Yet there are plenty of effective, inexpensive ways to put your social life back on track.

First, a brief explanation of halitosis. Oral odor has two types of causes. The overwhelming majority of bad breath is caused by anaerobic bacteria in the mouth, nasal, or lung passages. While unpleasant, bad breath is not usually symptomatic of a serious illness. Instead, it is the result of microbes that live in your mouth and multiply each day. Less frequently, bad breath signifies a serious systemic disorder, such as diabetes, liver disease, sinus infection, or bronchitis. If you have ulcers, frequent heartburn, or stomachaches accompanied by bad breath, the root cause could be the stomach bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which can be treated with antibiotics. In cases of systemic disorders, halitosis is created by sulfurous chemicals building up the bloodstream and being exhaled through the lungs.

While mouth odor may be caused by eating pungent foods, it is more likely caused by bacteria accumulating below the gum line, on the back of the tongue, or on food particles stuck between your teeth. Everyone experiences "morning breath," which is a build-up of bacteria in your mouth during sleep, when salivation stops. Gargling with mouthwash is unnecessary. After you have something to drink or eat to get the saliva going again, morning breath will go away. If your bad breath recurs during the day, though, you need to do something about the little buggers colonizing your mouth.