There are two types of bad breath, transient and chronic. Transient bad breath, as the name implies, is a temporary condition. Transient bad breath may be caused by a variety of factors including, but not limited to dietary habits, inadequate oral hygiene, dehydration and certain prescription medications. Chronic bad breath also known as chronic halitosis is a long lasting and recurrent condition frequently caused by a proliferation of a specific types of bacteria residing in the mouth, gum disease, or an underlying medical condition. Unfortunately, chronic bad breath may be difficult to treat and will most likely require that you visit a dental professional who is knowledgeable about halitosis to fully cure chronic bad breath. On the other hand, most causes of transient bad breath are highly treatable. Below are a few tips for getting rid of transient bad breath.Dietary Habits

Simply avoiding pungent smelling foods such as onions and garlic is an easy way to avoid bad breath. If you’re suffering from frequent bad breath your may also want to avoid alcohol based mouth rinses, excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages, and spicy foods because these have been shown to cause transient bad breath as well. If you do not wish to modify your diet, you can always elect to chew medicated sugarless gum or fresh parsley in an attempt to mask any offensive odors. A really effective product we recommend for food induced odors is a product called Breath Gemz.Oral Hygiene

Regular brushing and flossing is not only important for maintaining proper oral health, but will play a tremendous role in your efforts to combat bad breath. A high quality sonic toothbrush not only provide excellent cleaning, but will reduce hard to reach plaque and bacteria which frequently cause bad breath. Standard dental floss or better yet a hydro floss oral irrigator are excellent methods for improving overall oral health and alleviating bad breath too.Dehydration

Dehydration is another common and often overlooked cause of bad breath that can easily be treated. When the body becomes dehydrated there is a decrease in saliva production which can cause an increase in the number of odorous bacteria residing in the mouth. Simply drinking a glass of water after each meal is a great way to promote adequate hydration and to prevent bad breath caused by dry mouth. If you’re suffering from frequent dry mouth due to factors other than dehydration such as an adverse reaction to a prescription medication you can use a saliva stimulating product such as SalivaSure, OraMoist, or Salese to promote proper saliva production. We do recommend adults to consume 8 glasses or 2 quarts of water per day.Bad breath should be taken seriously as it can be an indicator of a more serious underlying medical condition. Various lung conditions, kidney problems and certain rare gastric issues can all cause bad breath. If you’re experiencing frequent bad breath and you are unsure as to what the underlying cause may be, we highly suggest you seek professional medical or dental treatment.About the Author: Dr. Anthony Dailley has been practicing dentistry since 1981 and specializes in bad breath treatment. He has a degree in Cell & Molecular Biology from San Francisco State University and a dental degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. Dr Dailley founded the Center for Breath Treatment in the bay area and currently conducts research on curing halitosis at the California Pacific Lab facility in Novato California.

18 comments. Leave new

Bad breath can be an impending sign of internal problems. Anyway, to prevent bad breath, you need to avoid food that may cause it like onions and garlic. If you have extra money, then you can buy sugar-free gums with Xylitol. It's an effective ingredient to fight bad breath. It is also very important to consult your dentist for proper dental prophylaxis.

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Great tips for removing bad breath. Also recommend seeing the dentist regularly.

Get rid of bad breath by taking extra dental care. It is also a must to consult your dentist when dental caries are present. Immediate treatment will prevent further problems. dc cosmetic dentist

Dehydration is indeed one of the most common causes of bad breath. It is imperative to maintain the hydration to ensure proper moisture in the mouth. This will also allow the mouth to have an environment which is not ideal for bacteria that causes bad breath. dentist beverly hills

Teeth brushing alone will not give you a fresher breath. You need to use dental floss to remove debris. It is also recommended to gargle alcohol-free mouthwash to make the mouth cleaner. Always drink plenty of water as this will keep you hydrated all the way preventing you from developing bad breath.

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One way to prevent bad breath is to drink plenty of water. My Orange County dentist advised me to drink more than 8 glasses of water a day.

Thank you for this helpful tips. I know someone with halitosis, it's just that it's difficult to tell him straight about his problem. My Concord NC dentist probably has an idea how to approach someone bad breath without being offensive.

Selena Mcbride
April 18, 2012 6:29 pm

Thanks for the wonderful write-up and for giving us a useful information. I would agree, bad breath should be taken seriously as it can be an indicator of a more serious underlying medical condition. You need to visit your dentist regularly if you have an oral problem and optometrists if you have a sight problems.

I agree that halitosis depends on the food you eat too because my Bartlett dentist says I have to avoid garlic and onions. It's important to keep oral hygiene to prevent bad breath too.

Brooke Knightley
April 20, 2012 3:07 am

The products you mentioned here are awesome. I have talked to my Fort Mill dentist and he agreed that the products you mentioned are of good quality and I better use them if I don't want to develop bad breath.

This are all helpful tips. With my job as a sales person, I think I'll be doing everything just to have good breath all the time or I'll lose my clients. Thank you for sharing these advice.

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If you love drinking coffee, then you may be one of the candidates to suffer bad breath. You can always chew sugar-free gums with xylitol. This kind of gum really helps. In case of severe bad breath, a help from the doctor is badly needed.

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Debra Mennins
April 24, 2012 9:07 am

My own dentist myrtle beach had to treat me for halitosis since I've been noticing that people always avoided me. Now, life is like those toothpaste commercials where people don't cringe when they talk to me.

According to dentists collierville bad breath is a sign of a more serious health problems. You need to ocnsult not just a dentist but your physician as well to find the root cause of your bad breath.

Hillary Felt
May 3, 2012 2:50 am

I asked some dentists in houston about the validity of herbs like parsely, mint, and green tea for long term halitosis treatment. Some agreed that it was beneficial while others were not. I'm not sure about what to believe, but from my own experiences (as I'm also growing these herbs in my garden), they seem to be effective after a good brushing and flossing.

Marco Phillipstein
May 18, 2012 7:16 am

I have to agree with you that dehydration is another common and often overlooked cause of bad breath that can easily be treated. Make sure that you drink at least 8 glasses of water especially before you go to bed and in the morning.

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Bad breathe is terrible. Not only is it bad for your the people around you, but it's bad for your reputation. This is the main reason why dental care is very important. A lot of things could be done to prevent it, but the best way is the classical way, which is brushing your teeth. Keeping your teeth clean reduces the germs giving you a fresher breathe.

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ehlizabeth bhell
August 3, 2012 3:03 pm

I used to have transient bad breath caused by smoking. Then I went to visit my dentist in mobile and thankfully she was able to help me without asking me to quit smoking.