While everyone has a case of halitosis (bad breath) now and then, for some people the condition can be chronic — and antisocial.

A smartphone app called Mint that works like a breathalyser will be out later this year to work with iphone5 and others to help with bad breath issues but until then you can either ask a confidant to check for you or do a self test since it is not easy to smell your own breath. Lick your wrist. Wait about five seconds, to let it dry a little. Smell it. For better or worse, that’s the way you smell. Or, more precisely, that’s the way the tip end of your tongue smells. If you smell nothing, that is good ... but if the smell is unpleasant, quick get a gum to chew before you read on.

But what causes bad breath that is characterised by an unpleasant odour? A lot of things, including food, tobacco products, poor dental hygiene, health problems, dry mouth or medications.

Food: Food is a primary source of bad breath. Some foods such as garlic and onions are known as perpetrators of bad breath; but spicy foods, exotic spices, some types of cheese, fish and acidic beverages can also leave a lingering smell, though mostly this is short-term. Often some food particles get stuck in the teeth, promoting the growth of bacteria, which leads to bad breath.

Sometimes, not even your best friends will tell you that you have bad breath. Here’s what you can do about this embarrassing condition

Few people know that the human mouth contains about 600 types of bacteria that thrive on trapped food particles. While brushing and flossing keep bacterial count down and food particles from sticking around, many people overlook cleaning the tongue though experts advise brushing the tongue itself in order to dislodge bacteria and freshen up the mouth.

Low carbohydrate diets can also be a cause of bad breath as it causes the body to burn fat as its energy source; the end product of making this energy is ketone, which causes a fruity acetone-like odour on the breath when exhaled.

Smoking and chewing tobacco can leave chemicals in the mouth. Smoking brings on bad breath, but not just from tobacco odours; tar and nicotine can make teeth stickier, so that bacteria adhere a little more; and the heat from the smoke will make the mouth dry and encourage bacterial growth. Smoking can also precipitate other causes of bad breath such as gum disease or oral cancers.

Poor dental hygiene: Poor dental care can lead to a build-up of plaque in the mouth, which causes an odour of its own.

Dry mouth: Dry mouth can also cause bad breath as saliva helps moisten and cleanse the mouth; so when the body does not produce enough saliva, bad breath may result. Dry mouth may be caused by problems of the salivary gland, connective tissue disorders, medications or excessive breathing through the mouth.

Of the different bacteria that are present in our mouth, the ones that prefer a dry mouth are more problematic when it comes to bad breath. Dieting or not drinking enough water can slow the production of saliva, leading to bad breath. Saliva washes the teeth and keeps bacteria at bay.

Because the body makes less saliva during sleep, most people wake up with what is known as “dragon breath”. Drinking water before going to bed can help, as can rinsing with water in the morning. Breakfast also helps; eating encourages the body to make more saliva, which rinses the mouth. Eating breakfast will get us back to being moist again.

Medication: Many medicines can cause dry mouth, leading to bad breath. If bad breath is a side effect of some medicine, ask your doctor if there are any alternative medicines that can be taken. But don’t stop the medicine without consulting your doctor.

If bad breath is due to a health problem such as a sinus infection, diabetes, acid reflux, etc., then the underlying medical issue needs to be treated.

When brushing after a meal isn’t possible, experts recommend chewing gum in order to dislodge food particles and increase the flow of bacteria-reducing saliva.

Keeping the mouth moist by drinking water and chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugar-free mints may temporarily mask bad breath by stimulating the production of saliva. But it has to be a sugarless version, since sugar can encourage tooth decay, which can lead to more bad smells.

For more serious cases of bad breath, dentists prescribe special toothpaste and mouthwash that can improve the symptoms of bad breath. Mouthwash may temporarily mask bad breath, but it may not treat the underlying cause.

In some cases dental hygiene isn’t enough to keep bad breath at bay; in such cases it helps to look at ones whole-body health. Some ailments such as sinus infections, diabetes, liver and kidney disease, certain cancers can also cause chronic bad breath.

Chronic bad breath doesn’t necessarily mean a person with good oral hygiene has a worse condition, yet it shouldn’t be ignored. Halitosis is not something that people should just accept as normal.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 25th, 2015

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