How to avoid stank breath and stay ~flossy~.
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Bad breath does not discriminate.
"Anyone can get bad breath. I've seen it in men and women from 10 years old to 95 years old and you can develop it at any point in your life," Dr. Gary Herskovits, D.D.S., of the Fresh Breath Center and Brooklyn Smile in Brooklyn, New York, tells BuzzFeed Life.
It's pretty common, and often treatable. So you shouldn't be ashamed if you have bad breath, even though it can seem super embarrassing.
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There are two types of bad breath: "garlic breath" and actual halitosis.
"There's the temporary 'I just had garlic and onions on my sandwich at lunch' bad breath, where these pungent flavors linger in the mouth and lungs," Dr. Matthew Messina, D.D.S., spokesperson for the American Dental Association (ADA), tells BuzzFeed Life.
And then there's bad breath caused by bacteria in your mouth, which is halitosis. This kind can vary in severity, so it can be something you can fix on your own or something you need to see a doctor about (we'll get to all that in a bit).
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Halitosis is USUALLY from an imbalance of bacteria.
Bad breath which is more severe and chronic is typically due to a problem with the makeup of bacteria in your mouth. When you eat, there's bacteria in your mouth that break down food and proteins — which is a good thing. "Bad breath is caused by the presence of too much anaerobic bacteria — meaning it does not need oxygen to survive — in the mouth," Dr. Steven Fox, D.D.S, who has served as faculty at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and practices in Manhattan, New York, tells BuzzFeed Life.
How can you tell if there's an imbalance of anaerobic bacteria in your mouth? You can't. Fox explains that only a dentist can examine the "bacterial flora" of your mouth and determine what is causing the bad breath.
It's less likely, but sometimes halitosis can be caused by gum disease, gastric reflux, sinus drainage, diabetes, tonsil stones, or other oral diseases, says Messina. If you improve your oral hygiene and and your breath doesn't get better, or the stank breath begins very suddenly, you should see a dentist who can better look into the problem and suggest a treatment.
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