Are you afraid of bad breath too? The kind that stops you from laughing out loud, the kind that makes you feel uncomfortable when kissing your crush or the kind that makes you think of your old maths teacher? Bad breath is an unpleasant odour that comes from your mouth and nose. It’s disturbing, both for others and for yourself. The reasons may be varied, but they’re not irreparable! We’ll explain why you have bad breath.
Poor oral hygiene
Halitosis (aka bad breath) is in most cases linked to a lack of oral hygiene. But why do we have bad breath when we neglect our oral hygiene? After you’ve eaten, particles of food get stuck between your teeth, your gums and on your tongue. If you don’t brush your teeth, bacteria will colonise your mouth. These bacteria emit chemical compounds that create the unpleasant odour. One of our tips is to clean your tongue thoroughly with your toothbrush. In fact, 60% of bacteria will live in its villi. By cleaning your tongue, you can significantly reduce the risk of bad breath.
The foods
You won’t be surprised if we tell you that certain foods cause bad breath, such as garlic, onions, cabbage, alcohol, coffee and protein powders. But why do these foods give you bad breath?
When these foods are broken down, they can be odorous. They then pass into the bloodstream, ‘contaminating’ your lungs, your breath, your urine and even your perspiration. Nothing serious though, it can just be a bit unpleasant for you (and for others too). So even after frantic teeth cleaning, the smell lingers! Don’t worry, it will disappear once your body has eliminated all the molecules responsible for your bad breath.
Certain diseases can cause bad breath
If, despite good dental hygiene, you still have bad breath, an oral disease could be the reason. In fact, certain diseases can cause halitosis, such as
- Inflamed gums
- mouth ulcers or dental abscesses
- Angina or bronchitis
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux
- diabetes
- Kidney failure
- Periodontitis
What can you do about bad breath?
First of all, you need to know the source of your bad breath. Treatments will differ between poor hygiene and gastrointestinal illness. In any case, we invite you to read our 5 tips for getting rid of bad breath!
To start with, make sure you have good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth after meals with fluoride toothpaste. Don’t forget to scrape your tongue to remove bacteria. And don’t forget: dental floss is your ally! It will help dislodge the bacteria between your teeth and limit the appearance of tartar.
You can also banish foods that give you bad breath. Of course, bad breath is only temporary and should disappear after a few hours.
If you don’t see any improvement by maintaining good oral hygiene and avoiding smelly foods, there’s probably an underlying cause. In this case, we recommend that you first contact a dentist to check the condition of your mouth. If he or she finds nothing, don’t hesitate to contact your GP for a diagnosis.
