Reasons for Bad Breath

Has a coworker, friend, relative, spouse or even a stranger ever crinkled their nose up at you when you were too close? It may not have been due to crossing the individual boundary of personal space, but rather because you had halitosis... the dreaded bad breath disease.

None of us ever wants it... the majority of us try very hard to avoid it. Sometimes though, good, even excellent, dental hygiene is not enough to stave off bad breath.

Why is that? No one wants to go out on a first date or start a new job... or even just in going out in general with malodorous breath.

Is it that we are going about practicing good dental hygiene ineffectively?

Do we not remember to floss at least once and brush a minimal of twice daily? All right, so maybe those biannual cleanings are more like once a year or even once every other year for some.

Should we try harder and brush with more rigor?

There are actually other reasons some of us has experienced bad breath from time to time. Let's start there before we break out the Brillo pad.

Reasons for bad breath- that stinking^ %$&*(*( #@ time of the month

Women, we are hormonal... that is a fact. What also is a fact is that mouth odor can be sparked a week before our cycle due to our hormonal fluctuations. These vacillations initiate a rise in salivary protein levels thereby causing the sloughing of oral tissue.

What remedy can we try before we say that is it and increase our time of the month to two weeks? Drink plenty of water... hydration dilutes the salivary protein from going haywire. In addition, invest in a good tongue scraper. Those odor- causing bacteria and cast off cells cling to the tongue's surface. Ergo... scrape regularly.

Reasons for bad breath- we admitted that we were less powerful than alcohol

How many of us have tied one on, when that was not the intention? How many of us know someone who is powerless against alcohol because it destroyed all the good in their life at one time or another? Beware of alcohol- based mouthwashes for pretty much the same reason.

What the mouthwash does is destroys all bacteria... even the good stuff, the friendly microbes that assist in odor control... not to mention alcohol is drying... remember dry is bad, hydration is good from the paragraph above?

What can we do? Switch to an alcohol free mouthwash. Should you opt to decrease your alcohol use slowly... at least until you have used up the bottle you paid for without a coupon, try drinking black tea. The tea can help eradicate the bad bacteria.

Reasons for bad breath- listen to your mother!

Does your mother talk to you about the foibles of a low fiber diet? Really? Is it just mine... well - she loves me.

A low fiber diet crates a sluggish digestive system which in turn can create a back up of foul smelling odors stemmed from the by products of food being broken down in the stomach. Would you want to be stuck down in a foul smelling place along with other smelly things? No... therefore, the odors travel upwards to escape when you exhale.

What can be done? Increase of fiber intake... and maintain a fiber intake of at least twenty-five grams per day. Moreover, it is healthy for us.

Reasons for bad breath- get thee to a doctor... stat

A medical reason could be the culprit behind a person's halitosis. If there is an infection in the tonsils, or sinus cavity, bad bacteria can form and fester. If one has diabetes, liver and/or kidney problems, even metabolism difficulties can lead to bad breath.

What needs to be done? Get a check up from your doctor.