It is relatively simple to avoid bad breath. Although it is commonly known that mouth fresheners are instantaneously active at keeping away bad breath, long lasting benefits can be obtained by simple acts of good hygiene. In the majority of cases, halitosis is caused as a result of nothing more than laziness or carelessness. It may not always be possible to brush after every meal when dining outside your home and this inevitably leads to bad breath especially if your meal is spicy. Likewise, although inconvenient, flossing removes particles of food stuck between the teeth.

Not every cause of halitosis is beyond one’s control. Over time, people could develop bad hygiene like not brushing or flossing before going to bed or they may not drink as much water as is needed. Not visiting the dentist regularly will also lead to the spurting and thriving of bacterial colonies inside the gums and can become extremely difficult to eliminate completely. There may be some bacteria that are beneficial to health, but the bad ones need to be kept at bay. By and large, good personal hygiene with regular dental check-ups should be enough to prevent the main causes of halitosis from taking root.

Metabolic Cause for Halitosis

Diabetes could be symptom free during its early phases. Surveys have shown that a large number of people in many different countries suffer from diabetes, without ever being aware of it. This causes a build up of ketones in the blood. Ketones are exceptionally malodorous chemicals produced when the body uses fat instead of carbohydrates as a source of energy. Ketones are generally excreted from the body in sweat, urine and the exhaled air. Halitosis caused by ketones cannot be cured by simply a dentist alone. As a result, dentists may refer a patient to a general physician, when no oral causes of halitosis can be found. It is also probable, as a high blood pressure leads to deficiency of the immune system, that diabetes and bacterial infections are related as well.

A sudden change of the type of food taken could also result in bad breath. Fasting and a high protein, low carbohydrate diet also leads to ketosis. In the bodies of people hoping to lose weight or boost musculature, more fat is burned as a source of energy and this leads to a build up of high levels of ketones in the blood which eventually finds its way to the lungs. This is the reason for special diets being prepared by experts for specific individuals.