How to Get Rid of Bad Breath Naturally

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/07/19 - Updated: 2019/01/20
Topic: Oral Health and Hygiene - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Ways and remedies to get rid of halitosis, or bad breath smell, the result of action taken by bacteria that live in your mouth, tongue, and tonsils.

Introduction

Halitosis is also known as bad breath, the result of the action taken by bacteria that live in your mouth, tongue, and tonsils. There are many factors that could be the causes of bad breath, and many of the factors that could be causes of bad breath can be dealt with quickly and easily using simple techniques.

Main Item

So what are the causes of bad breath exactly? The most common cause of bad breath is caused by VSCs (Volatile Sulfur Compounds) in the mouth. Some foods after they have been consumed encourage the production of certain chemicals that are then discharged via the lungs. So that extra helping of deep-fried onion rings is actually making a smell through your lungs.

Avoiding Causes of Bad Breath

Many of the causes of bad breath are things that we take for granted and use everyday. Most toothpastes can be a cause of bad breath because the stuff that makes the foam actually promotes production of VSCs.

• Bacteria build up on the tongue - The major cause of bad breath is a build up of bacteria on the back of the tongue and on the under layers. This can be easily treated with a combination of tools such as oral tongue cleaners and good oral cleaning regime. Bacteria in your throat and mouth help to break down certain proteins. When some Amino acids which have a lot of Sulfur inside, start to get broken down and then produce various foul smelling compounds from the back of the mouth and throat.
• Bad teeth - Rotting teeth are an obvious cause of halitosis. If this is indeed the cause then swift dental treatment can erase bad breath overnight. Removing or treating a rotting tooth can cure the problem instantly as once the rotting part of the tooth has been identified the source of the problem will have been removed.
• Food - Spicy food is a great culprit and many people are shocked because they think that bad breath caused by such food is limited to the day after consuming the foods in question. The fact is spicy food can cause bad breath for two to three days after a meal and this is why people think the cause lies elsewhere.
• Smoking - This is an obvious cause of bad breath and there is not a breath treatment on the market that can combat this area of halitosis. Nicotine literally oozes from every part of your body, inside and out, so the smart way of combating this it to kick the habit.
• Tonsil stones - Tonsils can hold a mass of bacteria and also tonsil stones, The combination of both is enough to set loose a mass of foul smelling odors that no amount of teeth or tongue cleaning can cure. The good news is these stones can easily be dissolved and the bacteria obliterated.
• Illness - It is very rare for an internal illness to cause bad breath but this is an area that should certainly be looked into. If all other methods of breath freshening have failed a doctor should obviously be consulted in order to find out the underlying cause.
• Dry tongue - A dry tongue can also be a cause of bad breath. The bacteria that produce those nasty SVCs actually don't like oxygen, so a dry mouth is perfect and hence becomes a cause of bad breath.
• Protein - The nasty stuff from the bacteria comes from the breakdown of Amino acids, which are found in protein. So high protein foods can be a cause of bad breath, even a generally high protein diet could be one of the causes of bad breath.

Once you have elevated levels of the bacteria in your throat, it becomes very difficult to fight off the bad breath as those bacteria can use anything to be the next trigger for your bad breath. By successfully reducing the amount of bacteria in your throat you can make sure that it becomes that much more difficult to get the bad breath in the first place.

Food That Causes Bad Breath

Certain foods are prone to produce bad breath. Everyone knows that onions and garlic create bad breath, but not everyone knows why. Furthermore, there are other foods other than onions and garlic that contribute to bad breath. Understanding why and how they contribute to bad breath will put a new perspective on how to get rid of bad breath. Although foods not the only culprit of bad breath, cutting down on these foods will decrease bad breath considerably.

• Onions and Garlic - Onions and garlic contain powerful volatile sulfur compounds which produce the same odor found in rotten eggs. The chemical makeup of onions and garlic are sulfur compounds themselves. So when you're consuming onions and garlic, you're eating nothing but sulfur compounds.
• Milk and Cheese - Milk and cheese are rich in proteins, thus, a feeding ground to these anaerobic bacteria in your mouth. The odor of sour milk is caused by the similar bacteria that create bad breath. When they break down the lactose protein and release of the amino which in turn end up becoming volatile sulfur compounds. If you are lactose intolerant and you want to learn how to get rid of bad breath, do not consume milk as it can make the problem worse. The anaerobic bacteria will break down these proteins in your oral environment for all its worth.
• Fish - Fish are very high in proteins and any food that is rich in proteins only feed the bacteria that convert these proteins into sulfur compounds in your mouth.
• Coffee - Coffee contains acids. When drinking coffee you make your mouth an acidic environment. This will accelerate the reproduction of bacteria. This is why many people feel a sour metallic taste after drinking a cup of coffee. Replace tea for coffee is an excellent alternative.
• Alcohol - Although alcohol is not exactly a food, you must be aware of its nature if you want to know how to get rid of bad breath. Alcohol causes dry mouth and a dry oral environment aids in the increase production of sulfur compounds because the less oxygen in the mouth, the better for the anaerobic bacteria (an=not, aerobic=oxygen) in the mouth.

Almost all of us suffer some degree of bad breath. By cutting down or replacing these foods with their alternatives will decrease bad breath dramatically. The question is often asked "Is it possible to get rid of bad breath without having to sacrifice the foods we eat" The answer is yes, but with treatment. Moderate consumption of the "bad" foods combined with proper treatment can result in a fresh breath.

Bad Breath From the Stomach

The only smell that you can detect from the stomach breath (when you belch) is the odor of foods like onions, garlic, or any other food with strong odor, instead of coming from the stomach bacteria that cause bad breath. However, this unpleasant smell is only temporary and will disappear in a day or so.

On rare occasions, a condition other than stomach bacteria that cause bad breath seems to come from lower down in our body. There are some illnesses like cancers that can cause our breath to have an odd smell. Liver or kidney disease can cause unpleasant stomach breath. It is true then that bad breath could be a sign of other serious problem.

If you notice an unpleasant and persistent smell from your breath that is not associated with the food or medications that you have taken, you should consult your doctor for a professional opinion. Do not try to ignore it - or treat it by using bad breath products.

Determine the Cause

To relieve the causes of bad breath, you should have a breath health regimen in place. Some causes of bad breath include; improper oral hygiene, medical prescriptions which cause dry mouth, and food trapped between the teeth.

The first step is to determine whether your oral hygiene practices are good. There are proper techniques for brushing and flossing. If you are not sure that the technique you perform is the right one, check with the oral hygienist in your dentist's office.

Schedule visits with your dentist twice a year. It is important to have your teeth cleaned professionally. Also, your dentist will be able to tell if you have problems or may foresee a potential problem. They can give you advice on the preventative steps you can take.

Brushing and flossing are the basics of a good breath health regimen. You should go a step further. Anaerobic bacteria are the cause of most bad breath. These bacteria live on and around your teeth and gum line. They do not need oxygen to thrive. They love protein from the food you eat. When you brush and floss you remove the bacteria from your teeth and the gum line.

The next step is to brush or scape your tongue. And, if you are like me, scraping the tongue can cause you to gag. There are scrapers on the market for this purpose. Most are inexpensive so you can experiment until you find the one that suits you.

Rinsing your mouth should be part of your daily routine. Most people use a mouth wash purchased at a store. A simple rinse remedy is to dissolve about a quarter teaspoon or less of salt in lukewarm water and gargle. You may rinse your mouth only once a day and that is probably in the morning. It is a good idea to also rinse your mouth before going to bed. Since the mouth is usually closed while sleeping and anaerobic bacteria do not need oxygen, rinsing at night might be more effective.

Dry mouth is another cause of bad breath. It can be caused by some medications such as Norvasc. Norvasc is prescribed for high blood pressure. Your doctor may be able to prescribe another medication. If not, drink plenty of water to keep your mouth moist. Your saliva will help reduce the bacteria in your mouth.

Relieve the Cause

The first remedies probably involved chewing aromatic herbs and brushing the teeth with twigs - remedies that are still in use in some traditions today. Though not very sophisticated by today's standards, they do focus on the right objectives: mask the odor and kill off or remove the offensive bacteria that cause the odor in the first place. Many herbs not only have a strong odor but have antiseptic qualities as well.

Chemical antiseptics were a logical step in the development of a halitosis treatment, and they are still widely used today. Antiseptics and antibiotics in mouthwashes are generally fairly effective at freshening the breath, at least in the short term. More recent experiments have explored the idea of physically removing oral bacteria with oily solutions (bacteria adhere to oil), using oxygen for bad breath producing bacteria, treating with vitamins and minerals, and making lifestyle changes. All of these approaches appear more natural and health-enhancing than using chemicals and antibiotics, and some even offer hope of a curative halitosis treatment that might banish the problem permanently.

Oxygen for bad breath is a logical approach that exploits the knowledge that most offensive breath odor is produced by anaerobic bacteria. Anaerobic bacteria are those that live in wet enclosed spaces where there is very little air or none at all - anaerobic means no air. Some of these bacteria can tolerate a little bit of oxygen, but none of them can tolerate very much, so delivering oxygen to the mouth, and getting it to penetrate all the tiny creases, grooves, pockets, and crevices in the mouth is lethal to anaerobes. Meanwhile, the oral tissues and the friendly aerobic bacteria in the mouth are completely unharmed by this halitosis treatment - aerobes continue to flourish and multiply, replacing the bad-smelling anaerobes.

If it works as well in practice as it does in theory, oxygen for bad breath should be very effective. The challenge, of course, is to deliver oxygen molecules to the mouth and make sure that they come in contact with the anaerobes. At least one commercial halitosis treatment has developed a system that aims to do that, and the product is doing well. Though the claims for the product do not suggest that it can cure bad breath permanently, it's likely that it could be used in combination with dietary improvements and lifestyle changes to re-establish a healthy, odor free mouth.

Some cases of chronic halitosis signal a health or dental problem that needs medical attention. If oxygen for bad breath or any other over-the-counter or natural remedy fails to give satisfactory results, you should consult your dentist or family doctor to determine whether any medical testing is indicated.

Using a mouth freshener or breath mint will relieve short-term causes of bad breath. Short-term bad breath is caused by eating certain foods such as a hamburger with onions. The mouth freshener will work but you may have to use it more than once. These odors tend to stay in the body for about 24 hours.

Author Credentials: Ian was born and grew up in Australia. Since then, he has traveled and lived in numerous locations and currently resides in Montreal, Canada. Ian is the founder, a writer, and editor in chief for Disabled World. Ian believes in the Social Model of Disability, a belief developed by disabled people in the 1970s. The social model changes the focus away from people's impairments and towards removing barriers that disabled people face daily. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and achievements, check out his bio.