Top Foods That Cause Bad Breath

Keep noticing you have bad breath? You may want to examine your diet. While proper dental hygiene can help minimize the smell from your mouth, the food you eat throughout the day can cause your breath to get bad quickly. Certain drinks and foods can taint your breath for hours and even days.

Food and Drinks That Give You Bad Breath

When deciding what to eat for lunch at the office or out to dinner with friends, if you want to ensure your breath stays fresh, limit the amount or completely avoid eating these foods:

• Garlic – This ingredient is high in sulfur, which enters the bloodstream after eating and exits through your lungs, allowing the smell to linger in your mouth all day.
• Onions – Another vegetable notorious for causing bad breath, onions are also high in sulfur.
• Canned Fish – Any fish that comes out of a can will have a strong scent because it gets oxidized, and that smell isn’t going to disappear after eating.
• Horseradish – This food has a very distinct odor because of the pungent chemical isothiocyanate in it that is sure to leave a lasting impression.
• Dairy – Milk may do your body good, but it can wreak havoc on your breath. This is because the naturally occurring bacteria feed on the amino acids in the dairy, leaving an unattractive odor.
• Protein – Meat and other protein are also good for your body but bad for your breath if you overeat. When your body burns fat and protein instead of carbs, you release ketones, which have an awful smell.
• Coffee – Where would we be without our morning cup of coffee? Without bad breath. Coffee’s powerful aroma sticks around in the mouth for a long time after drinking.
• Alcohol – As great as alcohol can be, it is a diuretic, meaning it dehydrates the body, leaving your mouth with the perfect environment for bacteria to fester.

Why Does Your Breath Get Smelly?

While it’s easy to think that the cause of bad breath is simply eating naturally smelly and pungent foods, the actual reason is bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria feeds on the food particles and dead cells, causing sulfur compounds to be released, and we all know that sulfur doesn’t have a pleasant scent.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss periodically, and don’t miss your tongue! Cleaning your tongue will help get rid of bacteria in spots you miss by flossing and brushing. Mouthwash can also help, but make sure to avoid rinses with alcohol, which will make the bad breath worse in the long run.

Dentist in Fairfield County

If you are concerned about your bad breath, need a cleaning, or are experiencing any dental problems, give Fairfield Dental Arts a call at (203) 254-3780. Our team of dental experts are here to help you!
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