Ever wonder why some people seem to have fresh breath with a lick-and-a-promise approach to dental care? (After all, who actually flosses every night? Statistics show the answer is: not many of us.)

For other people, keeping things fresh — or even tolerable — involves a lot more labor.

Right now, it seems pretty common to hand out blame for poor oral hygiene. And in fact, it’s true that there are many things you can do to reduce unwanted bacteria in your mouth that most of us avoid. Tongue scraping or brushing, for example. And appropriate rinses or mouthwashes specifically formulated for combating chronic bad breath (not the usual drugstore kind).
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Most people think that bad breath is caused only by poor dental hygiene. However, chronic bad breath, a condition known as halitosis, can stem from various medical problems, dry mouth and even the Atkins diet.

If you have a consistent bad breath problem, it’s wise to visit your dentist in order to determine the cause. There are several possible reasons for bad breath, such as dental decay or gum disease. But the dentist can diagnose other problems including yeast infections of the mouth, dental caries, poorly fitting dental appliances and periodontal disease.
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Bad breath simply comes and goes for some people. Perhaps we only wake up with bad breath in the morning. Or eating certain foods, like onion or pizza. These are more obvious triggers for bad breath.

But the bacteria that release the volatile sulfur compounds of bad breath find a great breeding ground in tongues that are coated or lined with cracks. Mucous and phlegm also contain proteins, and these bacteria exist to break down proteins. So if you suffer from phlegmatic nasal conditions, there’s a good chance there is an associated increase in bad breath.

However, despite any existing conditions that are more difficult to change, like fissured tongues or excess phlegm, there are things we can avoid to minimize bad breath. Read more »

Call it morning breath, dragon breath, or just plain smelly, but everyone gets bad breath now and then. So let’s examine some of the more basic causes of bad breath, and what we can do to help eliminate it.

The culprit in our search for the real cause of bad breath is oral bacteria. Any time the growth of oral bacteria goes unchecked, bad breath can’t be far behind. But what allows bacteria to multiply out of control? There are many reasons that bacteria may get the better of our mouths sometimes, causing mild to not-so-mild bad breath.
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Ever wonder what causes bad breath in children? How can that little angel who brushed his teeth before bedtime wake up with breath so bad that it could literally melt the paint off the wall? Well, there are a number of causes of bad breath in children, some related to hygiene problems, others with a medical connection. But they all wind up causing bad breath.

Morning breath is one of the most frequent bad breath complaints for children. At night, saliva production drops and a child’s mouth tends to dry out. Without the presence of saliva, bacteria begins to grow unchecked. This bacteria gives off the sulfur scent so closely associated with bad breath. Another good brushing session in the morning, and the renewed production of saliva will usually be enough to knock out this cause of bad breath in children.
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