By Michael Hehn
But it's very true; your diet is probably one of the largest causes of bad breath. Exactly how that happens is interesting too. It's a touch more complicated than you might expect.
Once you eat, the food is eventually absorbed into the bloodstream. From there it's transferred into your lungs, where it's expelled. (If you were like me, you thought the odors just lingered in your mouth.) The odor won't dissipate until the body eventually eliminates the food.
Sure, in the meantime you can brush, floss and use mouthwash. That's one of those no-brainers. But this only masks the odor temporarily.
In fact, not brushing and not flossing could also be a cause of bad breath. In this case, the food particles really do linger in your mouth. While there, they attract bacteria.
Food particles love to hide between the teeth, on the tongue and around your gums. If not taken care of they can even begin to rot, leaving behind that lingering unpleasant smell.
In contrast, you may be surprised to learn, that those of you who diet regularly, may also develop bad breath. And for the completely opposite reason: you don't eat often enough!
A related, but still different contributor to bad breath -- especially the chronic type -- is gum disease. Your dentist may call this periodontal disease. Plaque causes periodontal disease. It's a colorless, yet sticky film of bacteria that is constantly forming on your teeth. The bacteria create toxins which in turn irritate the gums.
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