No one wants bad breath but some people are more prone than others to the dreaded halitosis. The Massachusetts Dental Society estimates that 25 percent of the population are suffering from halitosis at any one time. Make sure you clean your teeth twice a day, and always brush your tongue, or else the small particles of food rot inside your mouth and cause a foul smell. Also watch your diet and you'll notice the difference on your breath.
Garlic and Onions
The usual suspects when it comes to the causes of smelly breath and definitely two foods to be avoided if you're prone to halitosis are garlic and onions. Garlic and onions contain sulfur compounds called mercaptans which create the bad odor. The Mayo Clinic says "After these foods are digested and the pungent oils are absorbed into your bloodstream, they're carried to your lungs and are given off in your breath until the food is eliminated from your body." It also says that the effect of onions and garlic can last for as long as 72 hours after eating--best to give them a miss!
Cheese
If it's smelly when you ate it, it's going to be much worse in a few hours. According to the Dental Health Index cheese and other dairy products such as yogurt and milk can cause a buildup of amino acids. Bacteria in the surface of your tongue and throat cause these amino acids to convert into sulfur compounds, which can lead to bad breath.
Meat and Fish
These two main meal components often cause bad breath, particularly if they're heavily seasoned. If food smells often stay on your breath you could try dowsing your fish in lemon juice to mask the odor, and the Animated Teeth website recommends to keep to white meat rather than red.
Cabbage
The most liable of all the vegetables, those in the cabbage family can have a nasty smell a few hours after you've eaten them. Of course, don't eliminate vegetables from your diet but opt for those the tomatoes and cucumber and leave the Brussels sprouts and broccoli at the greengrocers.
Sugars
Any sugars you take in intending to mask the smell, either in candies, mints or chewing gum, can further fuel the bacteria in your mouth to reproduce and create more sulfur compounds. The Save Your Smile website also says they can cause the acids in your mouth to erode the enamel on the teeth which can lead to your breath being worse than it was when you started.
