Halitosis Solutions: Understanding Causes for Bad Breath

If you would rather skip a visit to your dentist for now, you can start treating your bad breath at home by doing your brushing and flossing on a more routine basis. If you're not brushing your teeth and flossing after every meal, start by doing that. Halitosis is often the result of bacteria reproducing more quickly than you can remove it. The more you ignore the bacteria, the worse the problem will become, so the best solution is to make sure there isn't any food residue left in your mouth after a meal.

• Buy a toothbrush that reaches every area of your mouth. For example, you might need a curved toothbrush to reach the back of your mouth or one with a multilevel trim pattern to access hard-to-clean teeth.
• Brush your tongue too. Many odour-causing bacteria reside on the surface of the tongue.
• Pay special attention to where the gum line and the teeth meet. This is the area where bacteria can develop and work their way into the sulcus of your gum tissue (below the gum line).
• Rinse with antibacterial mouthwash after brushing to remove bacteria that's hard to reach with a toothbrush.

• If you smoke, consider options to help you stop. Tobacco irritates the gum tissue, which in turn can make it easy for an infection to take over and worsen your bad breath.
• Consume less sugar. Sugar is especially good at helping bacteria multiply quickly.
• If at-home treatments don't work, have your dentist check your teeth for plaque or tartar. Even if you don't see any, it's possible some could have accumulated in hard-to-reach places or under the gum line.
• If you haven't been feeling well, see your doctor to evaluate your condition. Certain illnesses or conditions such as diabetes, kidney problems, sinus infections, liver problems and other medical issues can be connected to halitosis.