Bacteria – The Number One Bad Breath Cause

The topic of bad breath can be a touchy one.  It seems like everyone suffers from a little bit of it at one time or another.  Yet, what if you have chronic bad breath or halitosis?  You might be curious about why you have this embarrassing and annoying problem.  Many simply do not know that the number one bad breath cause is microscopic bacteria living in your mouth.  Do you want to learn more about this so you can cure bad breath for good?  Keep reading!

Scientists and researchers have established that the most common cause of halitosis is type of bacteria called Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria.   The word anaerobic is used to describe the fact that this variety of bacterium thrives in environments that have little or no oxygen content.  In fact, 85% to 90% of the people who have bad breath caused by of the activity of these microscopic pests.

Disgusting as it sounds, the odor you smell is actually the waste products of those bacteria.  They excrete a sulfur based waste, which explains that pungent aroma.  There are various naturally occurring sulfur compounds that produce similar unpleasant odors.  Hydrogen sulfide, associated with rotten eggs, methyl mercaptan from the barnyard, and dimethyl sulfide, which is commonly associated with the ocean, are all compounds that are produced by oral dwelling bacteria.

Since they are commonly found in the mouth dentists have classified these compounds and refer to them as volatile sulfur compounds or VSCs.  It’s their volatile nature, including rabid evaporation, which makes them immediate sources of bad breath odor.   Still other waste byproducts excreted by bacteria such as cadaverine, putrescine, isovaleric, and skatole add to the often-noxious smell of halitosis.  No one is left out.  Everyone has these materials present in their mouths.

The good news is that most of the time you may never know they are there.  It is only when the levels of these odor-causing compounds are elevated to the point where they are detectable by the human nose that you will have issues.

One of the reasons that such bacteria thrive is that conditions like plaque accumulation can create an oxygen-weak environment that drive up the levels of odor causing bacteria.  The more extensive the accumulation the larger your mouth’s odor-causing bacteria population will become.  This, in turn, leads to worse bad breath symptoms.

This information should make it clear that the way to cure bad breath is to attack the bacteria itself.  By driving down the levels of the bacteria population or eliminating them entirely, you have the basis of any effective bad breath remedy.  Remember to target the bacteria and you have found the source of your odor problem—in the vast majority of cases.

Now that you know the fundamental bad breath cause, you should be able to find the sort of resources and products you need to combat the problem at its root.  There is no reason to let halitosis win the battle.  If you’re willing to experiment to find the right mix of medicinal and natural means to fend off bad breath, then you will win.