1. What are Some of the Myths about What Causes Halitosis?
2. Why Do Some People Get Halitosis and Others Don’t?
3. What Causes a Chronic Bad Breath Condition?

1. History of Bad Breath
2. Causes of Bad Breath
3. Bad Breath Solutions

Bad breath, morning breath, dog breath, halitosis or any other name you want to call it has been around as long as people have been eating. Even the most meticulous brushers can suffer from bad breath because sometimes it’s not the lack of care to prevent bad breath; it’s the food being consumed. Some of the more formidable offenders are garlic, onions, and peppers. While people enjoy the pleasure of a flavorful meal, they also feel the displeasure of odor that can result from pungent food. This can make people self-conscious about their breath especially when in entering a social environment such as an office, school or a date. The embarrassing side effect of bad breath from food is that it implies poor dental hygiene.

With the introduction of a wider range of food, as well as an array of sweets and unhealthy foods, bad breath has become a growing daily battle for many. The bad breath dilemma is widespread, affecting an estimated 25-85 million Americans who spend billions a year on products looking for a solution for bad breath.

Bad breath is an old problem that still needs a good solution. Even ancient cultures struggled to find solutions.

Ancient Cultures Searched for Fresh Breath Solutions

Documented bad breath remedies are as ancient as the problem. Many past cultures had their own solutions to battle bad breath, indicating the problem had similar social ramifications for them as it does today. Below are a few examples of these cultures’ solutions for getting rid of bad breath.

Assyria was a powerful political region during the 20th -10th c. BC, located on the upper Tigris River of Mesopotamia, now modern day Iraq. Their solution for good oral health was to scrub their mouth with a cloth dipped in saltwater. Salt’s natural sterilizing properties help prevent and kill infections. Even today, dentists recommend gargling with saltwater to prevent infections in the mouth that could lead to breath problems. While salt water helps to battle bacterial infections in the mouth, salt doesn’t help freshen breath.

Rome was a powerful nation with vast political reach. It was known for its ingenuity as well as its successful conquests. One example of such innovative thinking came from a Roman naval commander and historian, Pliny the Elder, who suggested gargling with pure wine before bed could help fight bad breath. The alcohol killed some of the bacteria, which could cause bad breath. This may be the first documented case of an alcohol-based mouthwash being used to reduce morning breath symptoms.

Arabs inhabited the Middle East for centuries. Spicy foods have long been a staple of their diet. After a meal, they would chew cardamom seeds, a highly pungent and aromatic spice, that are rich in the antiseptic ingredient, cineole. It would combat the breath odor caused by the usual spicy meal. This after dinner seed helped increase social confidence, so it’s no wonder the fresh breath remedy also became known as an aphrodisiac. They knew then that it is much easier to be closer to a partner with fresh breath.

The ancient Persians were well known for their powerful military exploits and elaborate customs. One of their customs was to use a mixture of coriander, parsley, spearmint, and tarragon to cleanse the mouth after meals, ensuring fresh breath. Parsley is rich in chlorophyll which is another very powerful breath freshener. Today parsley is still used to combat causes of bad breath.

Bad Breath is a Social Dilemma With Past and Modern Solutions

In the modern era, a new level of attention was paid to the issue of bad breath. leading to the development of many breath freshening products and even new terms. For example, the word “halitosis” was created in order to give bad breath a medical term and significance. Bad breath has since grown from a social annoyance to a social dilemma and in some cases a health concern.

It is obvious that bad breath is an age-old problem that challenges a person’s confidence to be close to others. It is just not fun to kiss someone with bad breath or be near a co-worker who just ate garlic. With that in mind, many products continue to be created to reduce, mask or prevent bad breath based on past remedies and current technology. Today you will find a plethora of gums, mints, toothpastes, drops, sprays, capsules, strips, mists, and mouthwashes claiming to provide the user with fresh breath. All have their place; however, one breath freshener has taken a natural approach of combining both past and modern knowledge to create a product that works against the toughest breath offenders including garlic – the product is BreathGemz® with InstiMint™.

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The two main causes of bad breath are either a bacteria buildup in the mouth or the digestion of certain foods. During the day, your oxygenated saliva serves as a mouthwash, reducing bacteria count and removing food particles. But at night the mouth dries out, bacteria takes control, and in the morning: Dragon Breath or Dog Breath!
 
Main Causes Are:

Food - Garlic and onion are known as top offenders. Their oils get into the bloodstream and then the lungs. Spicy food has a similar effect. Flossing, brushing and mouthwash will only partly mask this problem. The smell does not leave the system until the food is digested and discarded, causing long term Bad Breath!

Habits - Poor oral hygiene, such as not brushing and flossing daily, can cause bacteria build-up and increase Bad Breath. Food gets trapped in the teeth and gums, locking in the odor. The resulting tooth decay can also attribute to Bad Breath. Smoking tobacco is also known to cause Bad Breath. This habit has its own category of smell: Smoker’s Breath.

Oral Disorders - Dry mouth, otherwise known as Xerostomia, is another cause of Bad Breath. This also naturally happens at night when the saliva glands slow down and is the number one cause of morning breath. The saliva, as mentioned before, is an integral part of keeping fresh breath. Certain medicines such as antihistamines have also been known to attribute to dry mouth, which can cause bad breath. Also at least one third of the people with halitosis have a gum disease like gingivitis, which is also contributing to their bad breath symptoms.

Medical Disorders - The ADA (American Dental Association) states that “Bad Breath may be the sign of a medical disorder, such as a local infection in the respiratory tract, chronic sinusitis, postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, gastrointestinal disturbance, liver or kidney ailment.” If you feel one of these is the cause of your bad breath, you should consult your doctor to treat the disorder.

Dieting - Low-Carb Diets, such as the Atkins Diet, can cause bad breath. The fat burning process called ketosis occurs when the body is starved of carbohydrates. Weight loss occurs when the body uses its reserve fats instead of new carbs. Although this process means losing weight, the ketones emitted are known to be foul smelling and cause bad breath. This is not an oral hygiene issue and is merely a reaction the body has during this weight loss method.

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Food - There are a few methods to deal with the Bad Breath caused by food. Keeping a food log can help to determine what’s causing the smell and can help to eliminate those offending foods from the diet. This is not always a practical solution and many have instead turned to over-the-counter products that only temporarily mask the problem. These include mouthwashes, as well as chewing gums and breath mints, and even mint strips. BreathGemz® with InstiMint™ is a new product that works against the toughest breath offenders, even garlic

After dinner at a restaurant, some suggest chewing the parsley sprig often used to decorate the dinner plates.

Habits - Having healthy brushing habits is an easy way to increase oral hygiene and ensure that you are fighting the battle against bacteria and bad breath. The ADA (American Dental Association) suggests brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day. Having a dental check-up and routine cleaning is also extremely important to your dental hygiene.

Being persistent with oral health habits will decrease chances of Bad Breath caused by bacteria. If the issue is a smoking habit, ask your dentist or physician to help combat the habit.

Oral Disorders - Artificial saliva sprays, sucking on a sugar free candy, or even increasing fluid intake can reduce dry mouth. Gum diseases can usually be helped by consistently maintaining your oral hygiene habits mentioned above.

Medical Disorders - If bad breath is caused by a medical disorder, and is not directly related to your oral hygiene, a dentist may refer you to a specialist. In the meantime, use the general cover ups that are used with food products.

Dieting - The only real solution to bad breath caused by dieting is to quit the diet. To help with the problem, drink water to dilute the ketones, chew a sugarless gum, suck a sugarless mint, or use any other method you prefer to mask the smell and reduce its strength. Over time, your body should adjust back to normal.

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