The 10 Most Common Causes of Bad Breath & How To Eliminate Them

As we discussed in the previous blog, the main cause of bad breath is bacteria.  So what if your oral hygiene is impeccable?  Could there be other causes of bad breath?  Let’s continue the discussion by reviewing at the Top 10 Most Common Causes of Bad Breath.

Gum Disease (aka Periodontal Disease)

Without going into lengthy detail, gum disease is basically a disease that affects your gums and teeth that, if left untreated, can cause your teeth to become loose or fall out.   Gum disease is caused by bacteria that sticks to your teeth (plaque) and releases acids and toxins that damage your teeth and gums.  This bacteria feeds on left-over food particles on/around your teeth and gums, resulting in the release of VSC’s (volatile sulfuric compounds).  These VSC’s comprise the “bad” in bad breath.  The bacteria multiplies at an exponential rate so that brushing and flossing can no longer reduce or eliminate the millions of bacteria at a fast enough rate.  As the bacteria continues to multiply, the crevice becomes so deep that even toothbrush bristles cannot reach to clean them out.    If caught early enough, periodontal disease can be kept at bay by your dental hygienist, if seen on a regular basis…  And most patients experience a decrease in bad breath with the decrease in oral bacteria.

Nasal Problems

People with nasal problems are more prone to bad breath because the bacteria breakdown proteins in food particles, and in certain circumstances, the protein in mucus.    The breakdown of mucus proteins produces a VSC (volatile sulfuric compound) that produces a bad smell.  People with post-nasal drip have a collection of mucus on the back of their throat and on their tonsils—both of which have many nooks and crannies.  Because it is hard to clean these places, the bacteria continue to breakdown the mucus proteins and continue to produce the VSC’s causing bad breath.

Dirty Tongue

Many dental offices provide a tongue cleaner/scraper with the supplies that are provided to you at your cleaning appointments.  Tongue cleaners can also be found on toothbrushes and in the toothbrush aisle of your local pharmacy; however, many people don’t really know what to do with them.  JUST SCRAPE!  Yep, that’s it!  When you use this special tool, you are scraping any left-over food particles and bacteria off the surface of your tongue.  Your tongue is a great hiding place for bacteria and small food particles because of its grooves and crevices, thus a great playground for VSC production if left unscraped.  Using your toothbrush bristles to brush your tongue will also have the same effect.

Prescription Medication

All prescription medications have side effects.  One of the most common side effects is a dry mouth (xerostomia).  Dry mouth occurs when you do not produce enough saliva to keep your oral tissues (gums, tongue, etc) moist.   This often feels, and is referred to as, “cotton mouth.”  Saliva is the main proponent for bacteria reduction in your mouth.  Saliva helps plaque not stick to your teeth and washes away other bacteria and food particles everytime you swallow.  A person with a dry mouth does not produce enough saliva to wash anything away, so bacteria rapidly multiplies and sticks to your teeth, collects in your nooks and crannies, and excretes many VSC’s that stay in your mouth.

Tooth Decay

The words, “tooth decay”, basically mean cavities in your teeth.  This can be big cavities leading to crowns, root canals or extractions, or it can be small cavities leading to fillings.  Cavities are caused by bacteria feeding off left-over food particles or sugars in your mouth causing acid to form and eat away at your teeth.  Cavities are an infection of the tooth because of the high levels of bacteria eating your teeth causing them to breakdown.  The tooth is very porous beyond the outer layer of enamel.  So once the bacteria break through the hard part of the tooth (enamel), it begins to eat away at the softer part of the tooth.  This leaves behind rotting tooth particles eaten by the bacteria in addition to food traps.  Cavities often form in places that you miss when brushing, thus leaving food particles to rot and bacteria to multiply resulting in an overload of VSC’s.

Food We Eat

As you learned earlier, VSC’s are basically waste products from the bacteria in our mouth after digesting the proteins in the foods we eat.  Some foods we eat already smell a certain way before they even enter our mouths (i.e. fish, cheese, onions, etc).  These foods carry the smell with them during digestion and the smell is excreted throughout our body on a cellular level, which is why it takes a couple of days for us to exfoliate these smells.  Most people don’t brush and floss immediately after eating a meal either, which seems to compound the issue.  Even if they do, it is virtually impossible to completely rid our mouth of small food particles; however, we can brush and floss to minimize the amount so as to decrease the amount of VSC’s produced, thus decreasing bad breath.  Bacteria, mostly anaerobic, will always live inside our mouth—but we need to make sure we aren’t voluntarily feeding them.

Smoking

This section doesn’t need much explanation.  Apart from smoking being carcinogenic and staining to your teeth, it also makes your breath smell bad.  When someone smokes, it dries out the mouth and causes you to produce less saliva…and as we discussed earlier, a dry mouth leads to bad breath due to the increased growth of bacteria due to the lack of saliva washing the bacteria and other food away.  Tar and nicotine also tend to build-up on the teeth and cheeks (or any other hideaway) due to the lack of saliva flow.  Smoking also exacerbates nasal problems and gum disease, both of which were discussed earlier.

Stomach Problems

Most stomach problems are caused by bacteria being absorbed into your body and excreted through your breath.  The most common is acid reflux disease where stomach acid works its way up from the stomach into your throat and the odor is then excreted in your breath.  (It is best to see a medical professional if you are experiencing any type of stomach problem).  Stomach acid, whether it be from bulimia, acid reflux, or something else, also causes tooth enamel to erode, leading to increased cavity formation.

Mouth Breathing

Mouth breathing can be a difficult habit to change because it is almost an auto response to your body being dehydrated.  When the body is the least bit dehydrated, the nasal passages are one of the first to feel the effects.  When the nasal passages dehydrate, they become more sensitive,  causing your body to react via the only other way it can still inflate your lungs – through your mouth.  Upon breathing solely through your mouth, your mouth begins to dry out even more causing a decrease in saliva flow (as discussed earlier).  The saliva that is produced is thicker, thus making it a less effective lubricant for your teeth and certainly less effective in washing away any bacteria.  Needless to say, as you mouth breathe, the bacteria continue to multiply at high rates while excreting the foul smelling VSC’s. 

Dentures / Partials

The same bacteria and debris that collect on natural teeth and gums is also collected on and/or under dentures/partials.  The same bacteria produce the same VSC’s.  This bacteria is collected on a person’s tongue, cheeks and underneath the dental appliance.  Since the appliance sits against the gums, it is a great place for bacteria and food particles to hide, causing significant bacterial reproduction.  Most people experience a decrease in bad breath after cleaning their tongue in addition to cleaning their appliance thoroughly after each meal.  (An ill-fitting appliance will cause a collection of much debris in addition to damage to the tissues, so it is best to see a dental professional if your appliance is causing problems.)

How Can I Prevent / Eliminate Bad Breath?

• See your dental professional on a regular basis
• Have a dental hygienist clean your teeth every three - six months
• Make sure you are seen by your dentist regularly
• Tell your dental office each medication you are taking
• See your medical professional on a regular basis
• Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing a dry mouth due to medications or if you are experiencing stomach problems
• See your doctor if nasal problems are not eliminated by over-the-counter medicines
• Decrease the intake of food/drinks that cause water loss & increase dehydration  (i.e. alcohol, coffee)
• Consume more water to keep your body hydrated throughout the night
• Clean any dental appliance after each meal
• Eliminate/reduce smoking
• Brush/floss after each meal
• Use a tongue cleaner or brush your tongue daily

So as you can see, bad breath can be prevented. .. But, please remember, if you are having a chronic problem with bad breath, please seek professional dental and/or medical help.