Although there are many causes of bad breath, the primary cause is the presence of sulfur-producing bacteria. These bacteria live within the throat and the surface of the tongue. They're referred to as anaerobic ("without oxygen") bacteria because they thrive in oxygen-free environments.
What's that? You have oxygen passing over your tongue all the time, so anaerobic bacteria can't possibly survive there? That would be true if these bacteria actually lived on the outer surface of your tongue. Instead, they live deep within the surface where the papillae, or fibers, connect to the tongue. Under normal circumstances, Oxygen does not reach that level.
Now, believe it or not, the presence of these bacteria really is a good thing as they have an important job to do. They're responsible for breaking down proteins found in specific foods. However, proteins are also present in oral and sinus secretions which find their way to the tongue and back of the throat as well as in blood and diseased oral tissue.
The breakdown process produces a number of compounds such as Hydrogen Sulfide and Methyl Mercaptan. Unfortunately, these compounds are rich with sulfur, and its release creates unpleasant odors and tastes. When the bacteria break down proteins at the normal rate, everything's fine. But from time to time (or always, in the case of chronic halitosis), conditions occur which cause the bacteria to process proteins at higher rates. This is the primary cause of bad breath. As other factors come into play, the process may accelerate, producing agonizingly horrible bad breath.
Secondary causes of bad breath include post-nasal drip, sinus problems, coffee consumption, eating certain foods ( especially high-protein foods), and dry mouth.
Post-nasal drip coats the back of the tongue and the throat with protein-rich mucous. We've already talked about what happens when anaerobic bacteria have a limited amount of protein on which to feed. To those little guys, a post-nasal drip is a protein smorgasbord.
Some people as well as their doctors mistakenly believe that sinus surgery will eliminate or at least reduce bad breath. The point they're missing, however, is that anaerobic bacteria do not live in the sinuses. One of the world's leading experts on the causes of bad breath, Dr. Harold Katz , says, "After personally treating nearly 9,000 people worldwide, I have yet to see a patient get rid of his bad breath following sinus surgery."
Are you a coffee drinker? Coffee contains acids which cause anaerobic bacteria to reproduce more quickly. It doesn't matter whether you drink regular or decaffeinated coffee. Both contain very high levels of acid. Coffee drinking in combination with smoking is one of the major causes of bad breath.
In addition to onions and garlic, there are four kinds of food which tend to stimulate the anaerobic bacteria and increase sulfur production. They are drying agents (think alcohol), dense protein foods (fish), sugars, and acids.
Finally, anything that makes your mouth dryer reduces the amount of saliva present in your mouth. Saliva contains Oxygen and helps reduce the number of bacteria. The less saliva you have, the more ideal the environment for anaerobic bacteria to thrive. Consuming alcoholic beverages, using a mouthwash containing alcohol, smoking, taking certain medications... All of these are things can give you a dry mouth.
So there you have it... Everything you ever wanted to know about the causes of bad breath but were a bit hesitant to ask. Check out these articles for ideas on how to treat your particular problem.
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