This breath status can be as simple as a reflection of poor oral care or dietary habits, to concerns of a far more serious health nature like the presence of infection or disease.  Doing a little homework, can really help to understand the nature of breath odor and what you are dealing with.

When dealing with breath odor and sorting out the potential cause(s), it will likely begin as a process of elimination.  

Reviewing a preliminary checklist to ensure the oral care basics are in place before you speak to a medical professional about your breath concerns, is helpful since you can confidently skip this concern and more quickly arrive at the heart of the matter.

Good oral care consists of effectively brushing your teeth several times daily, flossing daily and cleaning your tongue's surface, all of which will help reduce plaque build up, loosen particles of food from teeth and gums, and avoid their fermentation in your mouth. 

In addition to eliminating the ghastly smell that generates through the process of food fermentation, you will also be preventatively avoiding the degeneration of your teeth and gums, which will most certainly compound a breath problem (not to mention put you on the road to gum disease and other dental health issues).

Dietary habits can also effect the presence of bad breath in your mouth.  

*We all have the presence of helpful bacteria on our tongues, to assist with the breakdown of "proteins found in specific foods, mucous or phlegm, blood, and in diseased or "broken-down" oral tissue."  Proteins consist of amino acids, and when specific amino acids that are especially dense with sulfur come into contact with these helpful bacteria, a compound called volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) are formed.  These compounds are the culprits behind the bad breath odor and bad taste.  

Certain foods tend to produce VSCs more readily than others and are divided into four main categories;
1. Drying Agents ie. alcohol (some mouthwashes contain alcohol which worsens the problem of bad breath).
2. Dense Protein Foods (depending on the person)
3. Sugars (ie. like even found in breath mints which mask breath and worsen sulfur production)
4. Acids ie. coffee, citrus juices

*The above two paragraphs information was resourced from Dr. Harold Katz's research.  He is highly educated with degrees in dentistry and bacteriology and highly experienced putting his research successfully to the test in breath clinics all across California.  He has an extensive line of products that successfully address a variety of breath odor issues with impressive customer testimonials to support them. 

For more in depth well researched interesting reading by Dr. Katz, click on the topics below:

• Common Symptoms of Bad Breath
• How To Test Your Own Breath
• Why Your Mouthwash Won't Work
• Why Breathmints Worsen Breath
• Medications That Cause Breath Odor
• What Has Proven To Effectively Fight Bad Breath?
• People Who Have Fought And Won The Battle Against Breath Odor

If you find yourself very concerned over your breath odor and you suspect health issues are at the heart of its cause, although there is lots of great medical information on-line, nothing can replace visiting you own family physician for proper diagnostic care.

According to the *National Medical Society's on-line diagnostic questionnaire, part of the first line of questioning in dealing with chronic bad breath covers the following issues:

• length of time dealing with bad breath
• age of individual
• presence of a cough
• presence of sputum which is the secretion that comes up as a result of deep coughing
• experience heartburn
• have toothache
• have sore throat

*"Online Medical Diagnosis is a diagnosis and treatment program that uses medical specialists to accurately diagnose symptoms" National Medical Society.

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