Most people suffering from bad breath really know how bad it is for others. We cannot smell our own mouth odor.  Sometimes a person can only realize the problem when someone tells them directly, or they notice other people suddenly avoiding them. We have all probably experienced this at some time, as everyone has had bad breath at some point or another.

There are more than 400 types of bacteria in the human mouth. Of these, about fourteen are the cause of bad breath, due to their release of sulfur odors. Halitosis is mainly caused by volatile sulfur compounds, which result from the release of protein being broken down by bacteria in the decay process. Anaerobic bacteria, which grow at the back of the tongue, are the main cause of the bad breath smell. These bacteria actually have an important role to play, as they assist with digestion as they break down food proteins. Individuals who suffer from sever bad breath are often found to have very high levels of anaerobic bacteria in their mouths.

While the food you eat or tobacco use can contribute to bad breath or halitosis, these are not main causes.  Highly spiced food, such as onion or coffee, can remain on a person's breath for as much as 72 hours after they are digested.  You can also avoid or reduce amounts of some types of food that increase bad breath by increasing the production of sulfide by bacteria. These foods are raw onion, cabbage, eggs, horseradish, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, garlic, red mean, fish and peppers. Cigarettes, coffee and alcohol can also aggravate the halitosis problem. If you are not able to avoid these foods, then be sure to follow proper daily oral hygiene including brushing and flossing your teeth, and seeing your dentist regularly.

When you fail to brush or floss daily, tiny food particles remain in your mouth, where they begin to decay and grow the bacteria that causes bad breath. It is this collection of food remnants between the gums, teeth and on the tongue that leave a sour smell. After you've eaten foods like onions and garlic, the food is absorbed into the bloodstream, where collected gases are transferred to the lungs and are expelled as you exhale.  Any possible foul odor remains until the food is completely digested and eliminated from the body.

Using mouthwash to hide odors only works for a short time, as the smell is not completely removed until the body eliminate the food causing it. Some people on diets can find that they get sour breath from eating too seldom.  Yet another complicating situation occurs for individuals with sinus trouble, which also can cause bad breath.

Some individuals who follow vegetarian diets are less likely to get bad breath. Vegetarians, and notably vegans who do not eat any animal material at all, eat mostly diets consisting of non-animal proteins and less animal fats.  Vegans eat diets which do not contain any animal-based foods, including any animal fat or animal protein.  As a result, vegetarians in general eat more fiber than non-vegetarians, and suffer less from halitosis. Because bad breath is caused by those proteins as they decay in the mouth, having less of them in one's diet will create less problem with chronic bad breath as compared to people with a diet high in meat and other rich foods.

It's very important to properly clean the mouth, especially after eating high protein content. Tiny particles of food remain and can get stuck between teeth or in the gums, as well as coating the back of your tongue. These are the locations most likely to develop bacteria so thorough cleaning is essential.

Another way to help prevent bad breath is to drink lots of water during the day. When you are dehydrated, your body reduces the flow of saliva, and this dryness prevent saliva form doing its job of cleaning and removing bacteria from the mouth. You can restart saliva production by chewing a piece of sugar free gum, a breath mint or even a throat lozenge. 

Making sure to clean your mouth after you eat protein-based foods can help reduce the bacteria production in your mouth, and thus the likelihood of suffering from bad breath. 

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