Bad Breath

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

There are many reasons why you might have bad breath. You can get it if you don't brush and floss regularly. Bacteria that build up in your mouth and between your teeth produce the bad odor. Other problems in your mouth, such as gum disease, dry mouth, or cavities, may also cause it. Sinusitis or problems with your nose may be to blame. You can also have bad breath if you eat some foods, like raw onions, garlic, or cabbage. And of course smoking causes its own bad smell. Some diseases and medicines can cause a specific breath odor.

Having good dental habits, like brushing and flossing regularly, help fight bad breath. Mouthwashes, mints or chewing gum may make your breath fresher. If you have a disease that causes the bad breath, treating the disease may help give you fresher breath.

Start Here

• Halitosis (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Smelling Sickness: Body Odor May Be Sign of Disease (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• What Is Halitosis? (Academy of General Dentistry)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Ask Your Dental Hygienist about Understanding and Eliminating Bad Breath (American Dental Hygienists' Association) - PDF
• Mouth Rinses (Academy of General Dentistry)
• Oral Health: Brush Up on Dental Care Basics (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Tongue Scrapers Only Slightly Reduce Bad Breath (Academy of General Dentistry)

Related Issues

• Do You Have Traveler's Breath? (Academy of General Dentistry)
• Does a Smaller Waist Mean Smelly Breath? (Academy of General Dentistry)

Specifics

• Acute Sinusitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Introduction to Periodontal Diseases (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Mind Your Mouth: Preventing Gum Disease (National Institutes of Health)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Halitosis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Dental health, halitosis and mouth breathing in 10-to-15 year old children:...
• Article: Potential antibacterial and anti-halitosis activity of medicinal plants against oral bacteria.
• Article: Interventions for managing halitosis.
• Bad Breath -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Also in Spanish

Children

• Bad Breath (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Bad Breath (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)

Teenagers

• What Causes Bad Breath? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Breath odor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Dental care - adult (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish