Bad habits, diseases or improper eating can be the cause of bad breath. Good oral hygiene is essential to combat it, but in many cases complementary products are needed to end this unpleasant sensation.

Bad breath appears on many occasions because bacterial residues remain in the mouth, due to the breakdown of particles that contain food or in most cases, poor or non-existent oral hygiene.

Why do we get bad breath?

Infections
When wounds occur after surgery such as an operation for wisdom teeth, removal of any teeth, caries, sores or inflamed gums, bad breath may appear due to the alteration that occurs in the mouth.

Infections in the nose and throat
When we have chronic inflammations in the nose or throat, tonsils can form and these, when covered with bacteria, can produce a bad smell and as a result, cause bad breath. So when we have a cold, we are more likely to develop bad breath because of the drip that occurs in the back of the nose.

Tobacco
Most of the substances found in tobacco destroy saliva antibodies, these are responsible for fighting tooth decay and maintaining a correct oral balance. So the destruction of these antibodies, along with the rest of tobacco substances that remain between the teeth, causes bad breath to appear.

After heavy meals
When there is an intake of large amounts of food, it is common for food particles to break down in the teeth which can increase the amount of bacteria and cause bad breath. Therefore, it is advisable to brush your teeth after eating and if, in a timely manner you cannot, it is advisable to have chewing gum or sprays that fight bad breath.

Bad oral hygiene
This may be the most common cause of bad breath. By not brushing your teeth after meals, the bacterial particles that contain the food remain in the mouth or penetrate between the mouth parts and produce bad breath.

As a result of an absence of tooth brushing, after eating a sticky and colourless substance is generated in the teeth generating the “dreaded” bacterial plaque. This plaque tends to irritate the gums thus causing gingivitis and causes an unpleasant smell.

Denture use
When you have dentures, and if proper oral hygiene of the dental is not done on a daily basis or is not done regularly, food remains are left behind, and as a result, irritations appear between the denture and gums. This concentration of food particles is the cause of bad breath.

Mouthwash use
Although one of the main benefits of mouthwashes is to combat bad breath, overuse can damage the tissues of the mouth causing irritations and as a result, cause bad breath or an unpleasant sensation in the mouth.

Other causes for which you may have bad breath are as a result of liver malfunction, diabetes problems, causes from the stomach (chronic stomach reflux, for example) or for prolonged periods without food.

Tips to fight bad breath:

• As we mentioned, excessive use of mouthwashes can cause bad breath. So when buying one, it is recommended that in addition to giving you a feeling of freshness in your mouth they have components to repair and strengthen the gums and enamel of your teeth.

• If you are looking for toothpastes or oral products that fight bad breath, you have to focus on those that do not alter your oral balance and respect the natural flora of your mouth.

•Some foods stimulate saliva generation and, as a consequence, reduce bad breath. This happens with parsley, one of the Breath Spray compounds in the form of seed oil that, together with Mediterranean essential oils, fights bad breath and provides a pleasant taste and smell.