Causes of Halitosis

There are many causes of halitosis: bacteria flourishing in the mouth, gum disease, throat infection, objects lodged in the sinuses, various diseases, even some foods. Though foul smelling breath tends to make one something of a social outcast, in the majority of cases, bad breath is not the individuals fault, nor is it something they can do very much about. In fact, it is ironic that when bad breath happens as a direct result of something we have done, like eating garlic with lunch, that is the time when it is most likely to be forgiven.

One of the most unpleasant, and more common, halitosis causes is the activity of oral bacteria producing volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) in the back of the mouth. It is nobody's fault. You have millions of bacteria living in your mouth: everyone does. These bacteria belong to different species and many even have their own special niche in your mouth, like between the teeth, or clinging to the surface of the healthy cells that line your mouth. They are normal and healthy, and even help your body to fight off infections, but unfortunately, some of them are causes of halitosis.

Most of the offenders live on the tongue. The bacteria that produce VSC are anaerobes, that is, they live in the absence of oxygen. Even in a healthy mouth, the tongue, especially the back of the tongue, is an ideal environment for these causes of halitosis. They lie protected deep between the papillae, the projections that support the taste buds, and covered with a layer of cells, other bacteria, and non-living material. These microscopic halitosis causes are well protected in their niche and they are able to carry on their metabolic activities undisturbed, breaking down dead cells and other protein sources, and producing a bad smell in the breath. This process is one of the primary causes of halitosis.

Most people probably have VSC producers in their mouths, but they don't have enough of them to cause a breath problem. It follows then, that if having too many VSC producing bacteria is one of the main causes of halitosis, getting rid of most of them should be one of the main bad breath cures - and it is. Many over the counter and natural remedies for bad breath aim at killing bacteria in the mouth. Such remedies never kill all the bacteria, however (it would be a bad thing if they did, because then you would not have any friendly bacteria in your mouth to fight off infections), and if you stop using the remedy, the halitosis causes will rebound and the problem will be back.