Halitosis or bad breath is noticeably unpleasant disorder exhaled in breathing. Halitosis is third most common reason to seek dentist following toothache and periodontal disease. Bad breath originates in the mouth itself, the intensity of bad breath differs from day to night. During day, bad breath may be due to eating habit like eating ginger, onion, meat, fish and cheese or it may be either due to smoking, obesity and alcohol consumption. The odor gets even worse at night time as mouth is less exposed to oxygen and inactive during night time. Bad breath is transient, o0ften disappear after brushing, rinsing with specialized mouth wash. It may be persistent indeed, that is more worse and serious condition affecting about 25% of the population in varying degrees.

Bad breath is often caused by a buildup of bacteria that causes inflammation and gives off noxious odors or gases that smell like sulfur or worse. Every one of us have bad breath at some point of time, especially when we wake up in the morning. Evidently, 80% of the population suffers from bad breath that comes from oral source like cavity or gum disease, tonsils that have trapped food particles, cracked fillings and less than clean dentures. Several medical conditions can even lead to bad breath like diabetes, liver disease, respiratory tract infection, and chronic bronchitis. Main culprits are the bacteria that build up on the back of your tongue or in between your teeth. Certain types of bacteria love to breed on the tongue, in the crevices between your teeth or in untreated cavities.

You may not always able to detect the bad odor as the odor- detecting cells in the nose become used to of it. Other people may notice and prefer to step back while you speak or make faces. Symptoms are dependent on the cause of the bad breath. It includes;

Infection in the mouth- symptoms vary from the type of infection like;

•    Red or swollen gums that may bleed easily, after brushing or flossing
•    Pus between teeth or the pocket of pus at the base of a tooth
•    Loose a teeth or change in hoe a dentures fits
•    Painful or open sores on the tongue and gums

Respiratory tracts infections- symptoms include;

•    Sore throat
•    Swollen lymph in the neck
•    Fever
•    Stuffy nose
•    Greenish or yellowish discharge from the nose
•    A cough that produces mucus

Dry mouth- symptoms are;

•    Difficulty swallowing dry food
•    Difficulty speaking for a long time because of dry mouth
•    Burning in mouth
•    Unusual high number of cavities
•    Dry eyes

A physician or dentist nay observe the bad breath while visit to office. Sometimes a fruity smell may be because of the medical condition like diabetes or urine like smell especially in the person suffering from kidney disease. Dentist will review your medical history to know the cause of bad breath and then he/she will provide you with the medicine. Your doctor may also ask you about your diet and personal habit like smoking or chewing tobacco. Doctor will also examine your teeth, gums, mouth and salivary glands. You will need to go through a diagnostic test if the cause is any medical condition like lung infection, diabetes and kidney infection