People worldwide have the problem of bad breath. This doesn't really help when it's you dealing with this problem. Does it help to know that you're not the only one?

Bad breath ("halitosis" is the medical term) is most commonly caused by poor oral hygiene. Dry mouth is another common cause, this may be the case if you notice it first thing when you wake up.

You may find that you have a dry mouth when you wake up in the morning. Your mouth naturally dries out during the night. You'll notice that you have a layer of a plaque on your teeth and tongue, left by the bacteria in your mouth that thrive in this dry environment.

You can help prevent this buildup if you brush your teeth and clean your tongue before going to bed. This will help to eliminate a lot of the food particles that these bacteria thrive on. You may also want to floss your teeth, always a good idea, and rinse out your mouth with mouthwash before you go to bed.

If you practice good, thorough, oral hygiene and you still have less than pleasing breath, then there may be other, less common reasons for your condition. Another possible reason is sinus problems. If you have a constant post-nasal drip, the mucus is a nutrient for those bacteria that live in your mouth. The more nutrients you provide the bacteria the more potential for bad breath odor, and plaque coating on your tongue. They also will reproduce and thrive in that area.

Your doctor or dentist can help you with post nasal drip problems.

The best way to reduce and eliminate halitosis is to keep your mouth free of the nutrients that the bacteria in your mouth thrive on. Especially at the back of the tongue, which means you may need to begin to practice brushing or otherwise cleaning the back of your tongue, using your toothbrush, or a tongue scraper.

Tongue scrapers can be purchased at any pharmacy. If you decide to use your toothbrush to clean your tongue, brush gently from back to front, and rinse your mouth out with either water or mouthwash. It's important to use a mouthwash that does not contain alcohol, because alcohol promotes dryness in your mouth.

I've given you here two of the most common reasons for halitosis, and some simple solutions. There are many other potential causes for bad breath. You must investigate the causes and remedies for you to find relief. Finding the cause of your breath problem may take some trial and error. You may have to persist in testing a few different ways to get relief. Believe me it's worth it.