The problem of bad breath happens to more people than it should. Bad breath is also known as Halitosis, a term which was coined by the Listerine Company in 1921. It is an extremely embarrassing problem and the person most likely, is not even aware of it. Bad breath can affect your self confidence, your social and official interactions.

There are several accepted ways of checking whether you have bad breath. One is to lick the back of your hand, let it dry for a minute or two and sniff. This will let you know what your breath smells like. Another is to scrape the back of your tongue with an inverted teaspoon, let that dry and do the sniff trick again. Of course the easiest would be to ask a family member or a close friend if you are sure they will be honest with you. But the quickest, least messy way would be to lean across to somebody and whisper something, all the while watching their expression!

Bad breath is caused by the bacteria in your mouth. There are two categories of bad breath depending on the cause. A temporary bout of bad breath, like morning bad breath, has transient causes. These causes could be poor oral hygiene, hunger, stress, and what you last ate or drank, alcohol, smoking, onion, garlic, fish etc. What you consume is what you breathe out, because the food gets absorbed into the blood stream and gets into your lungs from where it is exhaled either through your nose or your mouth. This will continue till the food is eliminated.

Other causes could be dry mouth, periodontal disease, liver or kidney failure, untreated diabetes, or some medicines. Other medical disorders that could cause bad breath are infections of the respiratory or gastrointestinal tract, chronic bronchitis or sinusitis, and a post nasal drip among others.

The common treatments for bad breath are the use of mints, chewing gum [sugarless], mouth washes and rinses. Make sure the rinse does not contain alcohol which will dry the mouth even more – it should contain chlorhexidrine, chlorine dioxide or zinc gluconate. Drink a lot of water, more than sodas and juices. Keep your mouth very clean by brushing your teeth at least twice a day, floss at least once. Keep your dentures properly cleaned and change your toothbrush regularly so that it continues to do an efficient job. Arrange to have your teeth cleaned professionally regularly.

If the problem persists, in spite of all these precautions, consult your dentist who will diagnose and treat the underlying problem, or refer you to a physician if the problem is medical and not dental.