Poor oral hygiene

The number one cause of bad breath is poor oral hygiene. If you don't brush your teeth properly, bacteria can easily build-up in your mouth, not just in your teeth, but also in your tongue and gums. Bacteria will produce foul odor gasses and is responsible for tooth decay, which also causes bad breath.If you don't floss and brush your teeth after every meal, any food that's trapped between your teeth will be eaten by the bacteria, which may produce unpleasant-smelling gasses.Because bacteria can live on your tongue, it's vital that you clean it to control halitosis. To ensure tooth decay is treated early, you should have a regular dental checkup. Your dentist will tell you how often you need to visit his/her dental office for a dental procedure.

Food

Eating specific foods or drinking certain beverages can make your breath stink. Coffee and alcohol can also cause bad breath. Fortunately, bad breath caused by these factors is temporary. You can avoid it by not eating or drinking these foods and drinks or brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth immediately after.

Diet

Another possible cause of bad breath is crash dieting and fasting. It's especially true if you're following a low-carbohydrate diet. Extreme dieting encourages your body to break down fat. It's a process that produces ketones that can make your breath smell bad.

Smoking

Smoking not only causes lung cancer, but it'll also give you bad breath. This nasty habit can also promote gum disease, which is another cause of bad breath. To lower your risk of gum disease and avoid bad breath, quit smoking.

Medications

Some medications can cause halitosis. Nitrate medicine, a drug that treats chest pain and angina, is one example. Some chemotherapy drugs and tranquilizers can also make your breath have a foul odor. If it's the medicine you're taking that's causing your halitosis, your physician may recommend an alternative. However, you should never stop taking your medication without first consulting your doctor.

How can your dentist help?

If you have bad breath, you have to start maintaining a clean mouth. Visit your dentist regularly so he can clean those areas that are difficult to reach by tooth brushing alone.When you visit Michael Z. Hopkins' dental office, he'll show you the proper way to clean your teeth and mouth, especially those areas where you may be missing.