Does a Permanent Bad Breath Cure Exist at All?

A Bad Breath Cure for Permanent or Temporary Bad Breath?

Bad breath is certainly something that all of us could do without. The reality is that most of us suffer from it every now and then. Temporary bad breath such as “morning breath” is very common, and it affects most adults in the morning after waking up.

This type of temporary bad breath will usually go away after drinking a bit of water, having breakfast and cleaning our teeth, tongue and flossing our interdental spaces. But what happens when our smelly breath persists throughout the day? Is there a bad breath cure that can wipe that nasty smell permanently?

It is in fact normal for our breath to vary enourmously during the day, depending on factors such as levels of hydration, foods we have eaten, oral hygiene, stress levels, lenght of time since last meal, etc. However, halitosis (bad breath) that becomes chronic – that is, is present most of the time, most days – is a condition that needs to be addressed, because it is an indication that something is not quite right.

Chronic Halitosis Seen As a Symptom:

Chronic bad breath is actually a symptom. There numerous diseases, conditions and factors which can be the underlying causes of the halitosis problem and, in many instances, there are multiple factors involved, making diagnosis and treatment difficult. Therefore, accurate diagnosis is vital so that the root causes can be dealt with directly, with the appropriate treatment and remedies.

So What Causes Bad Breath?

Well, bad breath is mainly caused by an overgrowth of bacteria, which most of the time occurs within the oral cavity. Many of these bacteria are anaerobic, which means they trhive in enviroments where oxygen levels are low. This type of bacteria like to metabolise all sorts of debris present in our mouth, and upon break down, they produce volatile organic compounds which can be extremely foul smelling.

In other cases, excess amounts of bacteria are located in the nasal passages or sinuses, and often within the tonsils too and the back of the throat. Fungal infections are also a source of bad breath, although less likely.

In general, around 90% of halitosis cases originate within the mouth, about 8% somewhere in the upper respiratory system (other than the mouth), and the remaining 2% of bad breath cases are due to other conditions or diseases located in other parts of the body, such as the stomach, esophagus, liver, kidneys or lungs, to name a few.

The most likely underlying causes of halitosis are:

• Oral infections, such as dental decay or an infected partially erupted wisdom tooth.
• Dry mouth (also called xerostomia).
• Gum disease (periodontal disease), such as gingivitis (bleeding gums) or periodontitis (a more advance form of gum disease, where other structures are also affected).
• Poor oral hygiene.
• Sino-nasal infections, such as chronic sinus infections or rhinitis (runny nose) caused by allergies for instance.
• Post Nasal Drip (excess production of mucous which drips down to the back of the tongue and throat).
• Recurrent throat infections and tonsil stones within the tonsils (tonsilloliths).

How To Deal With Chronic Bad Breath:

So given that halitosis is often caused by chronic conditions, does a permanent bad breath cure exist at all? Without any doubt, the answer is yes. Most of the chronic conditions that can cause halitosis can be successfully treated.

Accurate diagnosis is very important, and effective use of the most appropriate remedies and treatments – which of course will depend on the underlying cause (or combination of multiple underlying causes) - is crucial if a durable cure is to be found.

Optimal oral hygiene is also basic or bad breath will be easily exhacerbated during the day. Using adequate techniques to brush the teeth, as well as brusing the tongue with a good tongue brush and scrapter is very important.

Flossing is very important too, because debris and hence bacteria, easily colonise interdental spaces and areas below the gumline. Ideally, the mouth should be cleaned after each main meal and before bedtime.

Unfortunately, using products such as moutwashes or home-made remedies – such as hydrogen peroxide or baking soda solutions – can only help alleviate halitosis symptoms temporarily and is not a good approach for treating halitosis successfully.

An effective and durable bad breath cure does not rely on chemicals, but mainly on successful elimination of the environments where bacteria thrive, and this is usually achieved mainly via mechanical methods. These methods can often be used at home with very high success rates, although in very severe cases the help of a dental or medical profesional is recommended.