National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Bad Breath is the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Bad Breath
Also called: Halitosis
There are many reasons why you might have bad breath. You can get it if you don't brush and floss regularly. Bacteria that build up in your mouth and between your teeth produce the bad odor. Other problems in your mouth, such as gum disease, dry mouth or cavities, may also cause it. Sinusitis or problems with your nose may be to blame. You can also have bad breath if you eat some foods, like raw onions, garlic or cabbage. And of course smoking causes its own bad aroma. Some diseases and medicines are associated with a specific breath odor.
Having good dental habits, like brushing and flossing regularly, help fight bad breath. Mouthwashes, mints or chewing gum may make your breath fresher. If you have an underlying disorder, treating it may help eliminate the breath odor.
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
.
For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
-
Overviews
- Bad Breath(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
-
Bad Breath (Halitosis)
(American Dental Association)
- Also available in Spanish
- Bad Breath (Halitosis)(Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine)
-
Prevention/Screening
- Ask Your Dental Hygienist about Understanding and Eliminating Bad Breath(American Dental Hygienists' Association) - PDF
- Mouthrinses(American Dental Association)
- Oral Health: Brush Up on Dental Care Basics(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Tongue Scrapers Only Slightly Reduce Bad Breath(Academy of General Dentistry)
-
Specific Conditions
- Acute Sinusitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Kidney Disease (and Oral Health)(Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine)
-
Mind Your Mouth: Preventing Gum Disease(National Institutes of Health)
- Peridontitis(Merck & Co., Inc.)
-
Related Issues
- Do You Have Traveler's Breath?(Academy of General Dentistry)
- Does a Smaller Waist Mean Smelly Breath?(Academy of General Dentistry)
- Return to top
-
Pictures & Photographs
- Halitosis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Return to top
-
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Halitosis(National Institutes of Health)
- Return to top
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Halitosis
-
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
-
Organizations
-
Children
- Bad Breath(Nemours Foundation)
- Return to top
-
Teenagers
- What Causes Bad Breath?(Nemours Foundation)
- Return to top
-
Patient Handouts
- Breath odor
- Also available in Spanish
- Dental care - adult
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
