Know your enemy: The causes of bad breath

Maybe you are about to head out on a date, or perhaps it is an important job interview. Regardless of whether the situation is personal or professional, you are going to want to have fresh breath. For many people, there are few things worse than interacting with some someone who has halitosis.

But how can you be sure that your breath is acceptable? One of the surest ways is to ask someone with whom you are close. This may seem like an awkward thing to have to do, but it is often necessary.

This is because it is essentially impossible to smell your own breath. No matter how many times you breathe into your cupped hand or try to get a quick whiff while you exhale, you are not going to get a good sense of the condition of your breath. This is due to the fact that we become accustomed to our own smells. What may smell fresh to ourselves may be offensive to others.

But what if you don't have someone who you trust to give you an honest, non-judgmental critique of the state of your breath? How are you supposed to know if your breath is up to par for that next big social situation? Avoiding bad breath all together may be the most effective way to ensure that you don't have the problem. Knowing the causes of halitosis may be key to this.

Strong-smelling foods are the leading contributor to bad breath. While some foods simply leave their smell behind in the mouth, others have a naturally strong odor and produce sulfur as part of the digestion process. This stinky compound can be released through the mouth, causing stubborn bad breath.

Another leading cause of bad breath is poor oral hygiene. While this fact may seem obvious, few realize that their oral care routine is not up to par until it is too late. Failure to take proper care of your teeth results in bad breath for one reason: bacteria.

If you don't brush your teeth or rinse after you have eaten, there may still be food particles in your mouth. Bacteria love to feed on these particles, and they multiply in this environment. They produce as a waste product smelly compounds that can lead to halitosis.

Specialty breath freshening products may help you improve your oral hygiene and reduce the chances that you will experience bad breath. TheraBreath offers a line of products that are specially designed to eliminate many of the toughest problems to deal with.