Bad Breath, or Halitosis, Why Does It Happen Really?What is the main reason for bad breath? Well, according to clinical studies, all that build-up of

What is the main reason for bad breath? Well, according to clinical studies, all that build-up of bacteria on the tongue is to blame. Not only bad breath, but also other maladies of the mouth, even gum disease, have been shown to be somewhat linked to those odour-causing bacteria.

Keeping our breath fresh is actually quite difficult because bacteria (unfriendly ones), find it really easy to hide on the tongue. Why? Well, notice the texture of the tongue - just look in the mirror now and see... they love to hide there. A plaque builds up on the tongue (consisting of bacteria and other bacterial by-products) most noticeably at night, and stays there undisturbed, whether or not you brush your teeth in the morning.

If you want to effectively remove the film of plaque, brushing your tongue with a toothbrush will not work. You will only stir it up.

The American Dental Association News recently reported that halitosis experts agree that the dominant cause of bad breath is the bacteria on the tongue.

This is a recent quote from Time Life Magazine: "When saliva collects in the mouth - particularly in depressions at the back of the tongue - and is digested by oral bacteria, powerful odours can result."

Volatile Sulphur Compounds (or VSCs, similar to the gasses released by a rotten egg) build up on the tongue. They are the waste products of the bacteria, and they smell terrible. Recent research suggests that these VSCs may even be the first factors to bring about the gum disease itself, and active gum disease also results in the release of more of them.

While volatile sulphur compounds are the principle causative agents of bad breath, the bacteria that live in our mouths also produce other waste products, and some of these have their own unpleasant odours too. A few of these wastes are:

Cadaverine - this is what we smell from dead bodies

Putrescine - decaying meat-like smells

Skatole - the characteristic smell of human faecal matter

Isovaleric acid - the smell of sweaty feet

I bet you are surprised to learn that this pleasant cocktail of odour-causing chemicals is found in the human mouth, and everyone has them. Our breath always has some level of these compounds in them.

Normally, we can't even detect these compounds with our noses because the levels are usually very low. But when they increase beyond a certain level, other people can pick them up, and that's when we are said to have "bad breath."

Along with normal mucus productions, food particles left over after eating stay on the tongue and create a nice coating which is an ideal hiding place for the bacteria. Also, the rough texture of the tongue aids in their hiding.

Here they are safe. Why? Because they don't like oxygen, in fact they will die from exposure to it, and when the coating on the tongue is undisturbed, they are happily making their smelly chemicals and giving you bad breath.

This is the primary cause of bad breath, or halitosis. It also leads to increased risk of decay (especially root surface decay), and a decreased sense of taste. There are no shortcuts or magic pills - cleanliness is the solution.