Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHalitosisWhen to See a ProviderHome RemediesMedical TreatmentsImproving Dental Habits
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Halitosis
When to See a Provider
Home Remedies
Medical Treatments
Improving Dental Habits
“Halitosis” is the medical term forbad breath. If you notice a bad smell to your breath, you likely wonder what is causing it and how to resolve it.
Bad breath can have a range of odors and causes. Some of the more common causes include food debris, smoking, dehydration, andplaquebuildup. However, medications and some health conditions can also cause halitosis.
This article explains bad breath causes, home remedies, and treatment.
Halitosis and Bad Breath Odor
The main symptom of halitosis is bad breath. Other symptoms may include:
How Do You Describe the Smell of Halitosis?Halitosis may have several distinct smells, including:Afruity breathodor (common withdiabetes)A foul, fecal smell, such as from prolonged vomiting or when there is a bowel obstructionAmmonia or fishy smell (associated withkidney failure)
How Do You Describe the Smell of Halitosis?
Halitosis may have several distinct smells, including:Afruity breathodor (common withdiabetes)A foul, fecal smell, such as from prolonged vomiting or when there is a bowel obstructionAmmonia or fishy smell (associated withkidney failure)
Halitosis may have several distinct smells, including:
What Does the Smell Mean?
Halitosis is common. Researchers estimate that between 24% and 39% of people experience bad breath. Further, up to half of the adult population experiences occasional halitosis, and 25% experience it consistently.
There are manybad breath causes, including:
Why does eating lead to bad breath? The main reason is that bacteria feed on food particles left behind on teeth, leading to plaque buildup. In addition, certain foods can cause bad breath, including:
When to Discuss Halitosis With a Provider
A dentist or a primary care provider is a great place to start if you have persistent halitosis. Some reasons you might want to seek an evaluation for bad breath include:
How to Get Rid of Halitosis at Home
The good news is you can do plenty of things to get rid of bad breath at home.
Oral hygiene home remedies include:
You can also try some other alternative methods. For example, a study found that probiotics might be a short-term (less than four weeks) bad breath remedy.
Other research has found that specific medicinal plants may also work as a home remedy for halitosis. These include:
Work with a healthcare provider to determine how to use herbs for halitosis.
Halitosis Medical Treatments
A halitosis cure is possible once you identify and treat the cause. A healthcare provider might prescribe or recommend the following:
How to Build Better Dental Hygiene Habits
Bad breath can have negative social and psychological effects. You may feel self-conscious, embarrassed, or worried that you will offend someone with your bad breath.
The good news is that, most often, you can manage halitosis through better dental hygiene habits. Goodoral hygiene tipsinclude:
Summary
Usually, stepping up your oral hygiene practice can alleviate bad breath. Brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash may resolve occasional bad breath. However, if these measures don’t help or your bad breath is persistent, see a dentist or healthcare provider to diagnose and treat other causes.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Family Physicians.Halitosis.Medline Plus.Breath odor.Memon MA, Memon HA, Muhammad FE, et al.Aetiology and associations of halitosis: A systematic review.Oral Dis. 2023;29(4):1432-1438. doi:10.1111/odi.14172Mogilnicka I, Bogucki P, Ufnal M.Microbiota and malodor-etiology and management.Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2886. Published 2020 Apr 20. doi:10.3390/ijms21082886Penn Dental Medicine.Good news about bad breath causes and treatment options.American Dental Association.Bad breath.Huang N, Li J, Qiao X, et al.Efficacy of probiotics in the management of halitosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ Open. 2022;12(12):e060753. Published 2022 Dec 20. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060753Akkaoui S, Ennibi OK.Use of traditional plants in management of halitosis in a Moroccan population.J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. 2017;6(3):267-273. Published 2017 May 30. doi:10.5455/jice.20170522103525Izidoro C, Botelho J, Machado V, et al.Revisiting standard and novel therapeutic approaches in halitosis: A review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(18):11303. Published 2022 Sep 8. doi:10.3390/ijerph191811303Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About oral health.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Family Physicians.Halitosis.Medline Plus.Breath odor.Memon MA, Memon HA, Muhammad FE, et al.Aetiology and associations of halitosis: A systematic review.Oral Dis. 2023;29(4):1432-1438. doi:10.1111/odi.14172Mogilnicka I, Bogucki P, Ufnal M.Microbiota and malodor-etiology and management.Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2886. Published 2020 Apr 20. doi:10.3390/ijms21082886Penn Dental Medicine.Good news about bad breath causes and treatment options.American Dental Association.Bad breath.Huang N, Li J, Qiao X, et al.Efficacy of probiotics in the management of halitosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ Open. 2022;12(12):e060753. Published 2022 Dec 20. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060753Akkaoui S, Ennibi OK.Use of traditional plants in management of halitosis in a Moroccan population.J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. 2017;6(3):267-273. Published 2017 May 30. doi:10.5455/jice.20170522103525Izidoro C, Botelho J, Machado V, et al.Revisiting standard and novel therapeutic approaches in halitosis: A review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(18):11303. Published 2022 Sep 8. doi:10.3390/ijerph191811303Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About oral health.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Halitosis.Medline Plus.Breath odor.Memon MA, Memon HA, Muhammad FE, et al.Aetiology and associations of halitosis: A systematic review.Oral Dis. 2023;29(4):1432-1438. doi:10.1111/odi.14172Mogilnicka I, Bogucki P, Ufnal M.Microbiota and malodor-etiology and management.Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2886. Published 2020 Apr 20. doi:10.3390/ijms21082886Penn Dental Medicine.Good news about bad breath causes and treatment options.American Dental Association.Bad breath.Huang N, Li J, Qiao X, et al.Efficacy of probiotics in the management of halitosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ Open. 2022;12(12):e060753. Published 2022 Dec 20. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060753Akkaoui S, Ennibi OK.Use of traditional plants in management of halitosis in a Moroccan population.J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. 2017;6(3):267-273. Published 2017 May 30. doi:10.5455/jice.20170522103525Izidoro C, Botelho J, Machado V, et al.Revisiting standard and novel therapeutic approaches in halitosis: A review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(18):11303. Published 2022 Sep 8. doi:10.3390/ijerph191811303Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About oral health.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Halitosis.
Medline Plus.Breath odor.
Memon MA, Memon HA, Muhammad FE, et al.Aetiology and associations of halitosis: A systematic review.Oral Dis. 2023;29(4):1432-1438. doi:10.1111/odi.14172
Mogilnicka I, Bogucki P, Ufnal M.Microbiota and malodor-etiology and management.Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2886. Published 2020 Apr 20. doi:10.3390/ijms21082886
Penn Dental Medicine.Good news about bad breath causes and treatment options.
American Dental Association.Bad breath.
Huang N, Li J, Qiao X, et al.Efficacy of probiotics in the management of halitosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ Open. 2022;12(12):e060753. Published 2022 Dec 20. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060753
Akkaoui S, Ennibi OK.Use of traditional plants in management of halitosis in a Moroccan population.J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. 2017;6(3):267-273. Published 2017 May 30. doi:10.5455/jice.20170522103525
Izidoro C, Botelho J, Machado V, et al.Revisiting standard and novel therapeutic approaches in halitosis: A review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(18):11303. Published 2022 Sep 8. doi:10.3390/ijerph191811303
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About oral health.
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