ut air (indeed, they're poisoned by oxygen), they generally live just under the surface of the tongue and throat. They help us to break down the proteins iBad breath is something common to everyone at one point or another in their life, even those who brush and floss religiously. We all know that those who eat garlic will smell like it afterwards, but other times the realization that our breath is offensive comes on us unawares. So what causes it, and how can you avoid it?

The scientific name, "halitosis", meaning "a condition of the breath" was coined by the Listerine company, and refers to any unpleasant odors you might exhale from your mouth.

The odors are caused by anaerobic sulfur-producing bacteria in the mouth. Because anaerobic bacteria live without air (indeed, they're poisoned by oxygen), they generally live just under the surface of the tongue and throat. They help us to break down the proteins i

t garlic will smell like it afterwards, but other times the realization that our breath is offensive comes on us unawares. So what causes it, and how can you avoid it?

The scientific name, "halitosis", meaning "a condition of the breath" was coined by the Listerine company, and refers to any unpleasant odors you might exhale from your mouth.

The odors are caused by anaerobic sulfur-producing bacteria in the mouth. Because anaerobic bacteria live without air (indeed, they're poisoned by oxygen), they generally live just under the surface of the tongue and throat. They help us to break down the proteins i

u avoid it?

The scientific name, "halitosis", meaning "a condition of the breath" was coined by the Listerine company, and refers to any unpleasant odors you might exhale from your mouth.

The odors are caused by anaerobic sulfur-producing bacteria in the mouth. Because anaerobic bacteria live without air (indeed, they're poisoned by oxygen), they generally live just under the surface of the tongue and throat. They help us to break down the proteins i

ors you might exhale from your mouth.

The odors are caused by anaerobic sulfur-producing bacteria in the mouth. Because anaerobic bacteria live without air (indeed, they're poisoned by oxygen), they generally live just under the surface of the tongue and throat. They help us to break down the proteins i

ut air (indeed, they're poisoned by oxygen), they generally live just under the surface of the tongue and throat. They help us to break down the proteins in certain foods and clear our mouths of diseased tissue, and there's no way to eliminate them from our mouths.

However, certain conditions put the bacteria into overdrive, and they end up releasing "volatile sulfur compounds" which have a very disagreeable odor. The only way to treat bad breath is to stop the bacteria from producing VSCs, or by chemically altering them into something that doesn't smell so bad.

Breath mints, breath sprays and chewing gum only mask the odor with something more pungent; unfortunately they also generally provide the bacteria with more sugars and proteins to fuel rapid growt