There are a lot of true and false facts conneted with bad breath, also known as halitosis; in this short article you can read the most common !

1 – Eating more apples, grapefruit, pineapple and oranges can improve your breath: TRUE

Listed fruits and vegetables are full of water that acts like saliva helping your mouth to get rid of small food particles that hide between teeth. Saliva is nature’s way of keeping your breath fresh

2 – Halitosis is the scientific name for bad breath: TRUE

3 – Garlic can make your breath smell bad even after you’ve brushed your teeth and rinsed with mouthwash. TRUE

When digest garlic, it releases an enzyme called allinase which converts odorless alliin molecules into sulfurous allicin. That sulfurous material is absorbed into the bloodstream and transferred to lungs where it is expelled as a gas. Now it is easy to guess that brushing and flossing may only hide the bad smell coming from your mouth. In order to get rid of the unpleasant breath caused by garlic it is necessary to wait one day or two.

4 – Green tea catechins work as a treatment for bad breath ? PARTIAL TRUE

The catechins contained in green tea have several biological effects. Recent studies show that they can kill bacteria and inhibit viruses.

Streptococcus mutans is a bacteria in the mouth. If that bacteria species finds sugar it grows in number and cause plaque formation between teeth and gums. The subsequences are bad breath and caries.

Green tea catechins can limit the bacteria grow therefore can reduce cavities and Bad Breath.

5 – Ten inches of dental floss are enough: FALSE

The American Dental Association recommends using 18 inches of floss. A small piece of floss is wound around one of your middle fingers while the rest wound around the middle finger of your other hand. As you move from one tooth to the next it is necessary to roll up the used floss and unroll a piece of clean dental floss. If you follow this rule, 10 inches are not enough.

6 – Bad breath is a hereditary disorder: FALSE

If the parents suffer from halitosis it is not said that the children have the same problem as well. Bad breath has no hereditary cause. On the other hand, good oral hygiene habits have a great impact. Teaching children how to take care of their teeth and gums prevents both caries and gingivitis and, consequently, even the smelly breath.

7 – If you brush, floss, and rinse daily, you won’t have bad breath problems: FALSE

Even if poor oral hygiene is the first cause of bad breath, it is not the only one. There are other health conditions, illnesses or therapies that can cause the smelly breath as a symptom or side effect.

The health condition called dry mouth (also known as xerostomia) also can be the cause of the problem. Salivary gland problems, or continuous breathing through the mouth may lead to bad smell of the breath. Smoking or chewing tobacco also can cause bad breath

If during the examination your dentist doesn’t detect any disease coming from a problem with your teeth or gums the you need the help of your doctor to find out the root of the problems.

8 – Red meat and cheese can worsen your breath: TRUE

The proteins contained in red meat and cheese can cause the temporary heavy breath. The solution is simple, just brush your teeth without forgetting to even brush the tongue where dead cells are deposited and, when they break out, they smell bad smell

9 – Baby’s teeth cleaning is not necessary:  FALSE

Even if the mouth of your baby has no teeth yet, it doesn’t mean that problems cannot develop as well as baby bad breath. Before baby teeth appear it is very important to keep baby gums clean from milk/sugar deposits that may irritate the soft tissue. Wipe the baby gums off after each feeding using a wet washcloth or a piece of gauze wrapped around your finger.

Even though the first set of teeth will only stay in the mouth for five or six years, their health is essential to your baby’s gums and the future permanent teeth. Cleaning baby gums and teeth will ensure a future healthy mouth and avoid smelly baby breath.

10 – The amount of saliva in your mouth matters: TRUE

Our body can take care of itself and saliva is the first method used for the natural washing of teeth and gums. Poor salivation is not enough to remove the food particles that remain between dental elements. The bacteria feed on sugars and form the plaque. The consequences are: dental caries, gums inflammation and halitosis. The medical name for dry mouth is xerostomia.

11 – Some medications can make your breath stink: TRUE

380+ prescription drugs and some medications cause dry mouth. The lower amount of saliva leads to an overgrowth of bacteria, which can produce an unpleasant breath smell.

12 – You may have bad breath if you have tonsillitis: TRUE

The organs of our body are all connected to each other so, difficult swallowing, bad breath and fever are classic symptoms of tonsillitis

13 – After flossing, it’s important to Rinse: TRUE

The dental floss helps remove the pieces of food left between the teeth, but if we do not completely remove them, they resurface and resume inflammatory and destructive action. That’s why it is very important to use a good mouthwash to rinse your mouth after cleaning with your toothbrush and dental floss.

14 – Dental prosthesis like dentures or bridge can cause bad breath: TRUE

Even if dental prosthesis are fake teeth, they can still host bacteria and food particles that are the first causes of bad breath.

If your denture is removable, take it out of your mouth, brush it with a specific toothbrush and wash your mouth with plain water or a mouthwash. There also are disinfecting solutions to use overnight.

If you cannot remove the denture from your mouth then be sure to follow your dentist indications in order to keep your new teeth as healthy as possible.

15 – Chronic bad breath and bleeding gums are symptoms of gum disease like gingivitis or periodontitis: TRUE

Smelly breath, red and easy to bleed gums are clear symptoms of gingivitis that is the most easy to solve gum disease. In order to get rid of these symptoms the only thing to do is to keep a more accurate oral hygiene as well as visit your dentist office for deep and professional teeth cleaning.

If the infection gets worse, gums pockets appear, bacteria can reach and destroy the jawbone and your natural teeth fail prematurely (this gum issue is called periodontitis).

16 – Canned tuna fish may cause halitosis: TRUE and FALSE

Not all people that eat tuna have bed breath. Some people body cannot convert trimethylamine into trimethylamine oxide. Trimethylamine then builds up and is released in the person’s sweat, urine, and breath, giving off a strong fishy odor or strong body odor. This problem is well known as “fish odor syndrome” or “fish malodor syndrome” and is a rare metabolic disorder.

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