The source of a person's bad breath can be a variety of causes. Of course, there's food recently eaten and illness or other physical ailments that cause halitosis. But about 90% of bad breath is caused by improper oral hygiene. This includes tooth brushing, but also can include lack of proper flossing, dental hygienist visits, and failure to clean one's tongue.

Beverly Hills Dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, explains the importance of dental hygiene, "The most common cause of halitosis is bacteria. Anaerobic bacteria (those living and growing in the absence of free oxygen) feed on leftovers and dead cells. The harmful microorganisms attack teeth and gums, producing a typical foul smell."

He continues, "Brushing two or three times a day is not enough. Flossing after meals is important and seeing the dental hygienist to remove tarter buildup twice a year is needed. And don't forget that dental caries or other decay or infection can also cause bad breath."

For years people have been using mouthwash to assist with bad breath. Historically, people would rinse with a tea-like solution made from wormwood, alder or mint. Also, they found drinking mixtures made from oak bark, St. John's wort, nettle, chamomile and birch trees, resolved halitosis helped. Many people eat fresh apples which not only freshen breath, but clean off the bacteria on the teeth. Even strong tea is commonly used to kill bad breath. Tea has polyphenol, a bactericidal substance that helps neutralize the smell.

Odorous bacteria can be found on the teeth, on the tongue and between the teeth. Even the state-of-the-art toothbrushes cannot reach in between the teeth. Therefore, the use of dental floss is stressed in proper dental hygiene. There are numerous new utensils to assist with flossing and to make it a simple task. Brushing the tongue is also suggested and this can be done with a brush as part of daily tooth brushing or using one of many special implements for cleaning the tongue that are available today.

Almost a half of all adults complain of bad breath or halitosis in various degrees of severity. Causes of temporary halitosis may include recently eaten strongly flavored food, such as garlic or onions, and drugs such as a paraldehyde. And it has been found that infective conditions of the nose, throat, and lungs (especially bronchiectasis) can cause the problem as well as constipation, indigestion, and some liver diseases have been found to cause the problem.

Periodontal treatment is perhaps the most overlooked cause of this problem. Dr. Maddahi says, "Periodontal treatment deals with the health and care of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. Bacteria inflaming the tissue housing the roots of the tooth are known as periodontal disease. Treatment is in the form of regular dental cleaning and, in less healthy instances, full tooth scaling (scraping bacterial plaque and calculus from the tooth). State of the art ultrasonic scaling equipment is more thorough and less invasive than scraping; however it is not as comfortable a procedure for those patients with sensitivity issues. Although scraping is often not needed if regular teeth cleaning has been done."

Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, has been specializing in creating beautiful, natural smiles for 20 years and is located in Beverly Hills at 436 N. Roxbury Drive, Suite 202 and can be reached at 310-888-7797.