Bad Personal Habits as Causes of Halitosis

You might think that it is simple to keep bad breath at bay. While most people know that mouth fresheners act straight away, simple personal hygiene can produce more lasting results for your breath. Most causes of bad breath are due to nothing more than carelessness or inconvenience. It isn't always possible to brush your teeth after a meal eaten away from home, and of course bad breath is inevitable if you have had an exotic dish full of aromatic spices. Similarly, flossing can be very inconvenient; but you will find that bits of food stuck inside your mouth will lose no time in raising a stench!

Not all causes of halitosis are beyond your reasonable control. Some people may develop bad habits and fail to brush and floss before going to bed, or they may simply not drink enough water. Not only that, but failing to keep your appointments with your dentist will inevitably lead to colonies of bacteria finding refuge in your gums, and they can be extremely difficult to dislodge completely. There are indeed some beneficial bacteria which live in a healthy oral cavity, but the trick is obviously to keep the harmful ones away. Overall, a combination of adequate regular personal hygiene and regular dental examinations should be enough to rule out the usual causes of halitosis.

Metabolic Causes of Halitosis

Diabetes can sometimes not present symptoms in its early stages. Surveys have shown that many people in all countries may suffer from diabetes for several years, without the condition being detected. This delay results in the build-up of ketones in the blood. Ketones are chemicals with a strong unpleasant smell that are formed when the body has to burn fat instead of carbohydrate for energy. Ketones are removed from blood through perspiration, in urine, and by exhalation. This last one therefore joins the list of causes of halitosis, and it's something a dentist cannot resolve alone. This is why a dentist may send a patient to a doctor even though there may be nothing in the mouth which could result in halitosis. However, it's also possible that bacterial infections and diabetes are related.

Sometimes a sudden change in diet can also cause bad breath. Fasting causes ketosis, as does a high protein diet that also excludes carbohydrates. The bodies of people who try rapidly to lose weight, or to increase their muscles, tend to need to use fat for energy, and hence smelly ketones build up in your blood, finding their way to the lungs in the process. This is why special diets must be custom-prepared for each person by qualified experts.