Don’t be appalled by your dentist’s diagnosis of halitosis! It may sound like some kind of weird disease, with serious side effects. But halitosis is actually quite common, and very treatable. It’s simply a fancy name for bad breath.

Halitosis is a real, treatable condition. It doesn’t refer to the breath issues some of us get just because we like to eat interesting foods. Halitosis is not caused by delicious garlic and onion culinary delights. It is actually the result of bacteria.

Bacteria live quite happily in everyone’s mouth. We need them. But the bacteria like some mouths a little too much, they grow and increase, and it gets overcrowded. Too much bacteria, and halitosis is the side effect.

Yes, halitosis can be made worse by smoking cigarettes or drinking a lot of coffee. But the cigarettes and coffee are not the cause of the bad smell. They just enhance it.

The biggest culprit of halitosis is the tongue, and especially the back part, which is where bacteria like to accumulate. Some reasons for this accumulation include post nasal drip, and insufficient dental hygiene.

The solution to halitosis is actually fairly simple. It all comes down to good dental hygiene. Make sure that you are taking the time to floss your teeth daily. Tiny food particles get wedged in between the teeth. Overtime, those bits of food begin to breakdown and decay. Unless you are good about removing them, the smell from old food lingers in your mouth!

The next step to preventing and treating halitosis is careful and diligent brushing. Brush your teeth and brush your tongue after every meal, or a minimum of 2 times daily. If you don’t smell an improvement in your breath, talk to your dentist about using a tongue scraper. It is really important that this be done gently so as to prevent irritation. The idea is to scrape away some of the bacteria and gunk that collect at the back of the tongue, thus reducing the odor causing bacteria.

If you have halitosis, don’t be embarrassed. Try improving your dental hygiene routine, first. If that doesn’t take care of the problem, ask your dentist to recommend a mouthwash that is clinically proved to fight bad breath. This is a problem that you can, and should, be able to control.