Smoking or chewing tobacco-based products is a major factor, it not only causes teeth to stain, irritates gum tissue, can lead to oral cancer, reduces your ability to taste food but it also causes bad breath. Coffee contains an acid which causes bad breath bacteria to reproduce in your mouth and adding milk simply it makes it worse. Dentures are prosthetic replacements for natural teeth and are susceptible to the build up of plaque, another cause of bad breath.

The word halitosis was first used by the Listerine company in 1921, it’s been estimated more than 90 million people in North America, that’s one in four people, are suffering from halitosis at any one time. Halitosis is an oral health condition characterized by consistently odorous breath and almost everybody will experience halitosis at some point in their lives. The chances are pretty high that either you, or someone close to you is suffering from halitosis right now.

Halitosis is normally attributed to sulphur-producing bacteria that live in the tongue surface and throat, it can put a strain on your social and professional life and as such most people with halitosis will have tried many different bad breath remedies. However the good news is it is usually caused by simple things you can do something about.

Good oral hygiene helps to prevent the build-up of the bacteria that forms on your teeth, tongue and gums that causes bad breath but sometimes bad breath is a signal of a more significant health problem and if better dental care doesn’t make your breath smell better, contact your health care provider to evaluate other possible causes.

Products Used To Treat Bad Breath

It has been estimated that each year more than one billion dollars is spent on over the counter products that do not eliminate bad breath but simply mask it for a short while. Store shelves are stacked to overflowing with mints, mouthwashes and products designed to help people with bad breath but these products do not treat the cause and are no more than a temporary cover up.

While drugstores may have whole shelves full of products to sweeten halitosis and bad breath, the fact is many over the counter hygiene products, beverages and medications can be the cause of the problem. A simple regime to get started is the drinking of water as it has many health benefits, and preventing bad breath is one of them.

Bad breath is one of those things that only your mom and your kids will tell you about and can be caused by any number of causes but that’s the bad news. The good news is that bad breath is correctable, your self-confidence is too important to rely on hit or miss products that merely mask bad breath.