You can get bad breath from a number of different causes. These causes are widely ranged but the most common cause is from the mouth itself, 85-90% of all causes are from the mouth. The scientific name of bad breath is Halitosis and here are seven of the more commen causes:
1. Gum Disease: Gum diesease can be the reason for bad breath, the bad breath comes from the overgrowth of bacteria.
2. Accumulation of Food Debris: This is probably the most common cause for bad breath, the accumulation of food debris gets on or between teeth and coats the tongue. This is anaerobic bacteria from the food particles producing respiratory products, giving off a rotten egg smell.
3. Extra Oral Sources: Infections of respiratory tract, kidney dysfunction and diabetes are all extra oral sources, leading to bad breath.
4. Severe Dieting: Prolonged starvation causes ketoacidosis which will give you bad breath.
5. Dryness of The Mouth: Saliva helps prevent bad breath by getting rid of bacteria. When you have dry mouth meaning no saliva, it allows plaque to build up which means bacterial growth and causes bad breath.
6. Smoking: This is an obvious cause of bad breath, nicotine, tar and other horrible smelling substances build up to give smokers breath.
7. Tooth Decay: Bacteria decays your teeth and rots your teeth. This will lead to demineralization and will cause bad breath.