If you find people back away from you when you try to talk to them or have not been kissed since the 90’s then you might very well be suffering from halitosis. Halitosis is pretty much a fancy and polite way of saying that your breath stinks. Having stinky breath may not kill you but it certainly affects the way people see and interact with you. If you find people backing slowly away from you while wrinkling their nose, you might want to look into doing something about your atrocious halitosis.

Here are some of the biggest Halitosis culprits:

1: Food

If you do not think that big piece of garlic bread or that meaty red onion cannot possibly be behind your stinky breath then your concept of “stinky” is way out of whack. Food plays gigantic role in bad breath and it is not just those stinky vegetables that we all know about. Did you know that dairy products can also give you bad breath? Know you do. Milk causes mucus buildup which then lead to bad breath. Chocolate and Coffee are also big culprits. Food particles also tend to break down as you chew and some of it tends to get lodged in your teeth and then give off a foul smell as they break down.

2: Drink

Besides milk and coffee, sugary drinks such as soda can also end up giving you halitosis. This is because certain bacteria that cause bad breath thrive off of the simple sugars found in soda.

3: Poor Dental Hygiene

Brushing and flossing are very important not only for dental health but also because they help prevent bad breath. Flossing is especially important because it helps to dislodge those food particles that might be fermenting in between your teeth. Seeing your dentist is also important since cavities and periodontal diseases can also cause bad breath.

4: Poor General Health

As every doctor knows, certain ailments can give a person bad breath. Diabetes, for example, can end up giving a person’s breath a strong fruity smell. Kidney problems can make your breath smell fishy and acid reflux can end up giving you bad breath as well. Also, respiratory, throat and sinus infections can also cause a person’s breath to smell.

5: Cotton Mouth

Having chronic dry mouth can also cause halitosis. Ironically, alcohol based mouthwash is one of the biggest culprits behind chronic dry mouth.

Getting rid of your stinky breath might be as simple as pushing away that plate of garlicky pasta or as hard as facing your fear of a dentist drill. Taking care of your teeth and your health in general can go a long way. Another way that you can combat bad breath is to eliminate the amount of bad breath causing bacterium in your mouth. This can be done by eating less sugar foods and by taking an oral care probiotic such as EvoraPlus.