Persistent bad breath comes from the mouth in around nine out of ten cases — bacteria on the tongue, gum disease, trapped food, or dry mouth — which is good news, because dental causes are treatable. Mints and mouthwash mask it for an hour; treating the source fixes it.

The common causes of bad breath

The biggest culprit of bad breath is the bacterial coating on the back of the tongue, which produces the sulphur compounds you can smell. Close behind are gum disease (the odour of infection below the gumline), food trapped between teeth or under old dental work, decayed teeth, and dry mouth — saliva is the mouth’s rinse cycle, and anything that reduces it (mouth breathing, many medications, fasting, caffeine) concentrates odour.

Medical vs dental causes of bad breath

A minority of cases originate beyond the mouth: sinus and throat issues, reflux, and occasionally metabolic conditions. The pattern is a clue — breath that stays bad after professional cleaning and good home care deserves a medical review, and we will tell you honestly when the mouth is not the source.

What doesn’t work

Strong mints and sugary gum feed the same bacteria they briefly mask. Alcohol-based mouthwashes dry the mouth and can worsen the problem an hour later. And brushing harder changes nothing if the tongue and gumline are missed — location beats effort.

Treatments that actually work

• Professional cleaning to remove tartar and treat gum inflammation — the single highest-impact step
• Daily tongue cleaning with a scraper or brush, right at the back where the coating lives
• Interdental cleaning once a day — trapped food is a classic hidden source
• Fixing the fixable: decayed teeth, leaking fillings, food-trap gaps
• Hydration and, where needed, saliva-friendly products for dry mouth

---

Prevention checklist

Brush twice daily, clean the tongue and between teeth once daily, drink water through the day, and keep six-monthly cleanings. If someone close to you has hinted, or you find yourself second-guessing your breath in meetings, book a dental consultation — this is a solvable problem, and we treat it without embarrassment.

Book an appoinment now with our expert dentist at Health and Style Medical Centre