Halitosis is the medical term for bad breath–a most unpleasant problem for both the sufferer and those around him. There are many causes of halitosis; they are broadly grouped into oral causes and causes outside the mouth. A 2007 review article published in “The Journal of Dentistry” reported oral problems cause 80 percent to 90 percent of halitosis. A wide variety of other disorders outside the mouth causes the remaining cases.
Eating Aromatic Foods
A common cause of occasional bad breath is eating aromatic foods. Onions and garlic are notorious for causing bad breath. The chemicals that give these foods their characteristic odor are absorbed from the intestine into the blood stream. The blood carries these chemicals to the lungs where they are released into your breath.
Residual Food Particles and Plaque
Small particles of food get caught in your teeth when you eat. If you do not brush your teeth and floss after eating, the normal bacteria in your mouth will feed on the residual food particles. The bacterial breakdown of the food releases malodorous chemicals into your breath. Plaque–a mixture of food particles and bacteria–sticks to the teeth causing a bad odor until you clean it. On a related note, poorly fitting dentures may trap food particles, which will also cause bad breath.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is an infection of the gums. Plaque buildup from not brushing your teeth irritates and infects the gums. The same process that leads to bad breath with plaque also causes the bad breath associated with gingivitis.
Cavities and Tooth Abscesses
Bacteria in plaque or tartar (a hardened form of plaque) can eat a hole through the hard surface of the tooth causing a cavity. A tooth abscess–an infected pocket of pus, bacteria and tissue–can develop with a long-standing cavity. As active bacterial processes, both dental cavities and tooth abscesses often cause persistent bad breath.
Smoking
Smoking causes bad breath three different ways. For a period of time after smoking, the odor of the smoke stays on your breath. Smoking also dries out the mouth, which contributes to bad breath. Finally, smokers are at increased risk for gingivitis–another significant contributor to persistent halitosis.
Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol is a volatile chemical, meaning it easily evaporates into the air. When you drink alcohol, it is quickly absorbed into the blood stream. As blood passes through the lungs, some of the alcohol evaporates into your breath causing a strong, distinctive odor most people find unpleasant.
Medications and Illnesses That Dry the Mouth
Illnesses and medications that cause a dry mouth can also cause bad breath. Saliva normally cleanses the mouth and tongue. With dry mouth, bacteria, plaque and other cellular debris accumulate in the mouth causing an unpleasant odor.
Sinus Infections
A bacterial sinus infection often causes bad breath. Mucous containing bacteria and pus drains down the back of the throat from the sinuses and causes a foul breath odor.
Liver and Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney and liver disease can cause bad breath. Chemicals that would normally be cleared from the body by these organs build up in the blood. Some of them are released into the lungs causing halitosis.
About this Author
Tina St. John has been a medical writer and editor since 2000. She has published in “Cancer,” “Ethnicity & Disease,” and “Liver Health Today.” She is the author of “With Every Breath: A Lung Cancer Guidebook” and editor of “Hepatitis C Choices.” She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from the University of South Florida.
