Your breath is extremely influential in forming other people’s first impression of you: breath that is pleasant or neutral smelling does not get remembered, but foul breath is always remembered, and is not forgotten easily. Bad breath can cause a person to become an object of ridicule, and often times the problem is not caused by improper hygiene, as is so commonly believed.

Causes Of Halitosis

Halitosis can be caused by a number of different things, and they can be broken down into groups. Each group requires different methods to stop the problem, so the first step to managing bad breath is to find out what’s causing it. Persistent or particularly unpleasant symptoms do warrant a call to your doctor for help.

Oral Causes of Halitosis

The most common cause of halitosis is improper oral hygiene and the resulting periodontitis and oral infections caused by it. If the problem is caused by improper technique or negligence, that can be easily remedied; follow the instructions given by your dentist or oral hygienist, and brush after every meal, and use dental floss or an interdental toothbrush to clean the gaps between the teeth and don’t forget to use mouthwash as well. This should be enough to get rid of unwanted odours in a few days. If the dentist diagnoses periodontitis or other gum diseases, then your bad breath will not cease until you get proper dental treatment.

Halitosis Caused By Internal Organs

If no oral problems can be pinpointed as the cause, then the origin of the halitosis may be caused by problems with an internal organ. It is common knowledge that one of the first signs of diabetes, for example is acidic breath. Problems with the stomach, liver, kidneys, lungs and sinuses can all result in unpleasant breath as a result. It is vitally important that you get a proper diagnosis as soon as possible. If you have persistent unpleasant breath despite brushing and flossing properly, you should first check in with your general practitioner.

Pseudo-Halitosis

Sometimes completely healthy people complain of halitosis without oral issues or any kind of internal problems. Pseudo-halitosis is a phenomenon when a patient feels that his or her breath is unpleasant even though there are no causes for it and the breath is actually within the normal range. This is a form of anxiety and after seeing a doctor and getting some tests done, the patient usually calms down and the symptoms stop.