Almost everyone sometimes suffers from bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth. But the cause is not always known.
We all know that you get a stinking breath of garlic, onion and coffee. But there are also a lot of other, unexpected things that make sure you don’t smell as fresh as you would like. We looked for the most important ones for you:
1. Poor oral health
One of the main reasons why your breath smells bad is poor oral hygiene. This is because undigested food particles continue to grab onto your teeth. These are eventually broken down by mouth bacteria and that creates an unpleasant odor. Lifestyle changes, such as brushing your teeth and tongue twice a day, flossing daily, and drinking plenty of water, are therefore the best first steps to fresh breath.
2. Bad hydration = bad breath
Saliva is important for breaking down food particles, but also for keeping your teeth clean. If you drink too little water, your saliva production will decrease drastically. The plaque that lingers in your mouth during this drought contributes to bad breath.
3. Diet or irregular eating pattern
Not only certain foods cause bad breath, but too little food or a certain type of diet can cause bad smells. When limiting carbohydrates, such as with the keto diet, a process is created in the body called ketosis. The body then uses fatty acids to deliver ketones to the blood. In this way, body fat burns faster. However, during this process, the body also produces acetone, which causes fresh breathing. But skipping a meal can also cause a bad breath. Missed meals ensure that the salivary glands go to sleep and do not release as much saliva, leading to dry mouth and bad breath.
4. Medication
Antidepressants, cholesterol and diabetes medication, are some of the many types of drugs that can cause dry mouth. When you use this medication, it is therefore extra important to keep drinking enough and to keep your mouth health and breath fresh.
5. Digestive disorder
A digestive disorder, such as heartburn, can cause the mouth to dry and bacteria to multiply. If you suffer from such complaints, it is first of all important that you find the underlying cause. Are there certain types of foods that cause complaints? In addition, gargling with a mouthwash, without alcohol, can help alleviate the odor.
6. Diabetes
One of the annoying side effects of diabetes is dry mouth, the ultimate breeding ground for the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath. In addition, changing blood sugar levels may contribute to gum disease. However, the symptoms decrease when the disease is under control with the help of medication.
