People always associate bad breath or foul breath with taking garlic and onion,
but unknown to many, bacteria are the main cause in most cases of bad breath.

Causes of Bad Breath

Almost 90%^1,2 of bad breath cases come from the oral cavity which includes the lips, lower jaw bones, teeth, gum, tongue, taste buds and the upper jaw bones. Although the activities of the nose and the stomach may play a certain part in causing bad breath, contrary to the general perception, bad breath rarely originates from the stomach.

Statistics shows that there are about 300 types of bacteria that inhabit the mouth³. Some bacteria may decompose food debris and produce volatile sulphur compounds, leading to the foul smell in our breath.

Other causes of bad breath include:

• Oral problems: tooth decay, periodontitis and dry mouth
• Other health problems: diabetes, gastro-intestinal disease and respiratory system problems
• Smoking (for more information on smoking, please click here)