Common Bad Breath Causes - What Are the Most Common Causes of Bad Breath?
Bad BreathBad breath is an embarrassing personal problem believed to affect 35-45% of the global population yet it is not something that is greatly talked about. When we encounter someone with a breath problem the polite thing to do is to simply ignore it and do not mention it to the person. People with bad breath often do not know or are unsure if they do have it.
As a topic that is so rarely discussed very few people are aware of what causes bad breath in the first place. This article aims to shed some light on what the possible cause maybe if you fear you have or do indeed have this all to common yet embarrassing personal problem.
The vast majority of bad breath is related to one thing, the presence of bacteria living in the mouth. Bacteria like all living organisms consume foods and excrete waste products as part of their metabolism. The waste products that these bacteria produce contain 'Volatile sulpher compunds' (VSL's) which are what cause the breath to smell.
An example of a VSL is Hydrogen sulphide, this VSL is what gives rotten eggs there characteristic foul stench and this along with a number of other VSL's are what the bacteria of the moth produce. Volatile sulpher compounds (VSL's) are molecules that evaporate readily at room temperature and quickly disperse through the air hence the reason they can be smelt on ones breath.
Treating bad breath is therefore often a case of doing as much as we can to limit the ability of these bacteria to grow inside the mouth and often times the causes of smelly breath are actions we either take or fail to take that allow the mouth to become a breeding ground for these bacteria.
If we fail to brush and floss properly we are allowing these bacteria to gain a foothold in the mouth because they will be able to feed on the molecules of food trapped on and between the teeth.
Some of the other common bad breath causes include as having a dry mouth, eating certain types of food, sinus and oral infections and tooth decay. A dry mouth can contribute to bad breath as it provides an ideal environment for the bacteria to grow, similarly sinus and oral infections supply the bacteria with food in the form of proteins, again allowing them to grow.
There are some foods that cause bad breath, not because they help the bacteria to grow but because they themselves contain these VSL's. Two examples are garlic and onions. After eating these foods the volatile oils are absorbed into the bloodstream where they are carried to the lungs and can be noticed on the breath for a few days until they have been expelled.
There are a wide variety of bad breath causes we need to be aware of if we are to successfully prevent and solve this embarrassing problem. Discover them here.