Bad breath sometimes signals a significant health problem. A sickeningly sweet smell of sugar and nail polish remover, for instance, is a sign of dangerously uncontrolled diabetes. Children can have tonsils so inflamed that they catch food particles no matter how much the child brushes or uses mouthwash, and the only cure is to have the tonsils taken out.
There are several other causes for breath odor, also called halitosis:
Bad breath from stomach problems: The bacterium that causes most cases of stomach ulcers, Helicobacter pylori, can also cause extremely potent bad breath. Getting rid of the bacterium cures both the ulcers and the bad breath. There is a blood test that can tell whether Helicobacter pylori is present.
Certain Foods: Food, once absorbed into the bloodstream, is transferred to the lungs where it can be smelled when a person exhales. This is the case with garlic and onions. No amount of brushing, flossing, and mouthwash will get rid of garlic or onion breath, since the odor emanates from the bloodstream (2 hours after the garlic is eaten).
Ketosis and Bad Breath: It may sound odd, but not eating can also cause bad breath, caused by the breakdown of chemicals during fasting called ketoacidosis. Dieters need to be particularly conscious of this. Ketoacidosis is usually accompanied by 4 to 7 pounds (2-3 kg) of quick weight loss, and gives a smell to the breath something like nail polish remover, because the body makes the same chemical used in nail polish remover. Uncontrolled diabetes can also cause this odor.
Failure to Brush Properly: if you fail to brush daily, particles of food remain in the mouth, which breeds bacteria and can cause odor.
Dry Mouth: A lack of saliva can cause breath odor. Saliva moistens and cleans the mouth by neutralizing acids and washing away dead cells. Dry mouth, or lack of saliva, can be caused by certain medications.
Periodontal Disease: More commonly known as gum disease, this disease is characterized by deep pockets in the gums which can catch and grow all kinds of bacteria that cause breath odor.
Sugarless Chewing Gum: The sugar alcohols used to sweeten sugarless chewing gum cause the digestive to concentrate the chemicals that cause onion and garlic breath. If onions and garlic are not eaten, however, sugarless chewing gum does not have this effect.
Natural Remedies for Bad Breath:
Brushing, Flossing and Mouthwash: These are all critical to good oral hygiene, but they only mask the odor temporarily. Odors continue until the body eliminates the food. However, if you fail to brush daily, particles of food remain in the mouth, which breeds bacteria and can cause odor.
Download a free 100-page ebook about bad breath at http://www.ecoteamlab.com.