Whether it's that look on your significant other's face when they smell it, or that unpleasant odor coming from a stranger chatting you up at a party, bad breath can cause a little anxiety for everyone involved.

Bad breath is common. One in four adults have had it at some point in their lives. It can also be chronic. 

According to Breanne Gendron, a nurse practitioner with OSF HealthCare, some people don't even know they have bad breath due to a condition called olfactory fatigue, which is when people lose their sensitivity to odors.

“Bad breath can be a totally benign thing, and you just need to brush more, or it could be a sign that something more serious is going on. If you are someone who has bad breath despite regular like twice daily brushing and flossing, then it would be important for you to see your dentist to make sure everything's healthy on the inside of your mouth,” Gendron says.

Gendron adds in addition to brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing is also extremely important. She says brushing at bedtime is the most important time of the day.

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There are few things more embarrassing than halitosis – better known as bad breath. Whether it’s that disturbing look on your significant other’s face when you give them a smooch, or that unpleasant odor coming from that stranger chatting you up at a party, bad breath can cause a little anxiety for everyone involved.

“Bad breath can be a totally benign thing, and you just need to brush more, or it could be a sign that something more serious is going on,” says Breanne Gendron, a nurse practitioner for OSF HealthCare. “If you are someone who has bad breath despite regular like twice daily brushing and flossing, then it would be important for you to see your dentist to make sure everything's healthy on the inside of your mouth.”

Gendron says bad breath is common. One in four adults have had bad breath at some point in their lives. It can also be chronic. And some people, Gendron adds, don’t even know they have bad breath due to a condition called Olfactory fatigue, which is when people lose their sensitivity to odors.

Bad breath can be caused by many things, but it all starts with good dental hygiene. In addition to brushing twice a day, flossing is also extremely important. While some people tend to blow off brushing their teeth before bedtime, Gendron says that’s the most important time of the day. That’s when cavities can form the easiest and we don't make as much saliva when we sleep. When your mouth is dry you wake up with the always dreaded “morning breath.”

Gendron says the first call to make is to your dentist. Ongoing bad breath can be a sign of gum disease, which can be caused by genetics, plaque, or both. If your dentist doesn’t find any problems such as cavities or gum disease — then your primary care physician can determine if another condition is causing the bad breath.

“We need to check the inside of the mouth first, if the dentist says everything looks good, you need to see your doctor to talk about other reasons for those issues,” says Gendron.  Some more serious conditions that can cause bad breath are oral or throat cancer or tonsillitis. People who are diabetic are prone to gingivitis and gum infections.

The most obvious symptom of bad breath is, well, bad breath. But other problems include a white coating on the tongue, a dry mouth, or excess mucus in the back of the throat usually from nasal irritation, allergies, or a bacterial infection.

There are other reasons, of course, for bad breath. Smoking is one. But it’s also the foods we eat.

“When I'm thinking bad breath, I think garlic, onions, spicy food, those types of things. If you have an important afternoon meeting, those are the foods you want to avoid at lunch,” says Gendron, who adds coffee breath isn’t usually a problem. “I think that most of the public drinks coffee for breakfast, and I think that drinking coffee is fine.” 

For many of us who experience bad breath from time to time the old standby is to pop a mint or a piece of gum in your mouth. While that may help rid yourself of the smell, Gendron says that’s just hiding a potential problem.

“I think using gum or mints when you're in a situation where you're going to be talking to somebody in close range, and you want to make sure your breath is good, it's fine, but it isn't something you should use on a regular basis to mask symptoms,” she says.  

So the next time someone tells you that your breath isn't up to snuff, take heed. It just might be the hint you need to get to the root of what's really causing that undesirable odor. 

Interview Clips

When it comes to oral health in kids, Emily Isom has seen it all.

Cavities, gum disease and infections, improper tooth alignment and tooth loss come to mind quickly. Not to mention all the missed school time dealing with these issues.

But she’s also seen plenty of young people who are the picture of good oral health. And she’s on a mission to make more of the latter.

“The mouth is the gateway to the body,” says Isom, a certified medical assistant in pediatrics at OSF HealthCare and a former dental assistant.

“A lot of people don’t think about what our oral health can do to us if it’s not being taken care of,” she adds. “It can cause heart disease, diabetes and respiratory infections.”

Everyday prevention

Isom says kids and their parents should commit to daily habits that will improve their oral health.

For infants without teeth, Isom says parents should use a soft, cool washcloth to wipe the child’s gums twice a day. This helps clear bits of food and milk that can lead to bad breath, irritation and cavities.

“Touching their gums will help when they are older. They’ll be okay with brushing their teeth. They won’t fight the parents about it,” Isom says. “So, it’s good to start [oral health care] early."

Older kids should brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day. Floss once a day. When a child has two teeth that touch, it’s time to start flossing. That could happen from ages two to six.

Before you rinse out your mouth with water, don’t forget about the tongue, Isom says.

“If we do not brush our tongue, bacteria can sit on it. It can get what I call ‘tongue sick,’” Isom says. “Bad breath can also happen.”

Outside of the bathroom, Isom reminds us that sugary and starchy food and drinks are prime suspects in oral health issues like cavities. So, parents should offer those foods in moderation. Isom calls out sticky candy as an example. She says the sugar tends to sit on your teeth for a while. Isom also says starchy food like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and cereal can sit between your teeth unless you floss right away.

Another must-know for parents with babies: don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle. Aside from a choking hazard, Isom says the constant stream of milk or formula can lead to cavities and corrosion. She also says this can cause infants to be fussy and demand a bottle more often.

It takes some convincing

A mother of a six-year-old, Isom knows that some kids won’t brush and floss willingly. They see it as a chore.

Her response: make oral health fun.

“Make a dental chart. Add stickers to it, morning and night,” Isom suggests. “Give them rewards like a little toy. After each cleaning, they can get a reward. Turn on music or a timer for two minutes [of brushing.] Get toothbrushes with their favorite characters on them.”

Dentist visits

Isom says children usually have regular visits with a dentist twice a year. Others with known mouth issues may go every three to four months. But see a dentist right away if you notice red flags: pain in the mouth, persistent bad breath, discolored gums or teeth, bleeding gums or trouble swallowing.

A regular dental visit usually includes a thorough cleaning of the teeth and gums followed by fluoride treatment.

“[Fluoride] protects the enamel of the teeth,” Isom explains. “It protects your teeth from cavities. It just makes your enamel really strong so you can eat the things you want.”

A dental professional may also perform X-rays on your teeth regularly.

Something else for parents to make sure the dentist has in mind: oral cancer screening.

“Those are huge,” for oral health, Isom says.

A dentist may use their hands to examine your mouth and neck. They could use a light or have you rinse your mouth with a blue dye. Each method looks for abnormal, possibly cancerous tissue.

At the end of a dental visit, you may be sent home with a prescription or just instructions to keep your mouth happy. For example, you may get a prescription mouthwash to help with gum disease.

Learn more

Read more about how to keep kids’ mouths in good health on the OSF HealthCare and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites. If you don’t have a family dentist, talk to your primary care provider about finding one. OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria offers dental care for children with special needs.

Interview clips

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