Got bad breath? There are lots of things that can cause our breath to stink. Here are five of the most common causes.

Lack or oral hygiene

Want to avoid bad breath? Don’t neglect your oral health. If you’re not brushing your teeth thoroughly, you can expect bacteria to build up in your mouth. This bacteria will cause your breath to smell. Eventually, poor dental hygiene could lead to tooth decay, which could result in even worse breath. This could lead to a whole host of other problems too.

A good dental health routine will keep your mouth clean. This involves brushing twice per day at morning and at night for two minutes at a time. Brush each tooth individually using small circular motions (or use an electric toothbrush). Flossing can also help to remove plaque between teeth.  

Smoking

Smoke regularly and your breath will stink of tobacco. You could also increase the risk of developing gum disease by smoking, which in turn can further contribute to bad breath.

Some people combat smoker’s breath by chewing gum or eating mints. However, this still won’t stop a smoking habit from damaging your gums and mouth. The best solution is to give up smoking. A replacement habit such as vaping could be a good start. 

Alcohol

A night after drinking, your breath could end up smelling of booze. Alcohol however can cause bad breath in other ways too – it reduces the production of saliva, causing the mouth to become dry. A lack of saliva can cause bacteria to build up, which in turn can lead to bad breath.

If you regularly drink heavily, you’re more likely to have bad breath. Drinking a lot of water is one way to combat the dehydrating properties of alcohol, possibly helping you to produce more saliva and preventing your breath from smelling. However, the most effective solution is cut down on your drinking.

Coffee

Drink a lot of coffee and you could experience ‘coffee breath’. The effect on our breath isn’t just a result of coffee’s strong smell – drinking a lot of coffee reduces saliva production. Like alcohol, this causes bacteria to breed in the mouth, leading to stinky breath.

If you’re a coffeeholic, consider cutting down your cups of coffee per day. Drinking more water throughout the day could also help to boost saliva production and combat coffee breath. 

A medical condition? 

Bad breath can sometimes be the result of a medical condition. Tooth decay and oral diseases are some of the biggest culprits, however other conditions affecting other parts of the body can also have a knock-on effect on our breath odor. Digestive issues, kidney issues, tonsillitis and diabetes can all result in unusual smelling breath. 

Most medical conditions will have other symptoms beyond bad breath – you may experience abdominal pain, fatigue or a sore throat. If this is the case, you should definitely see a doctor. A professional diagnosis will allow you to look into treatment options, which could help to rid you of your bad breath.