The commonest cause of bad breath lies in bad oral hygiene. There are normally in the mouth many kinds of germs and fungi. These thrive on the food bits left in the mouth between the teeth and in the cavities of decayed teeth. Food bits subjected to this bacterial activity quickly putrefy and give off a foul odor, the person rarely being conscious of the odor. A film of material which gradually becomes hard and a part of the tooth enamel (tartar) will accumulate on the sides and between teeth that are not regularly cleaned. This is made up of salts from the saliva, food elements that have undergone fermentation and worn out cells from the mouth membranes. This film is odorous, even though it be hard. When it has accumulated and become hard it can be removed only by the patient efforts of the dentist.
There are pockets called crypts in tonsils that have been diseased. The same material that will accumulate about the teeth will invade and become packed in these crypts. This grayish white, cheesy material is exceedingly malodorous. One small pocket of it will contaminate the breath.
Unless one belches, the odors from foods in the stomach are not exhaled through the mouth. When this does occur, the odor should not be disagreeable except in cases where there is an ulcerating stomach cancer or an obstruction in the stomach.
In certain irregularities of the bowel function, gas is absorbed from the intestine into the blood stream. This gas is odorous because it contains certain kinds of ethers and alcohols. This odorous gas is taken by the blood to the lungs where it is exhaled in the breath. Under normal conditions, the odors of foods and beverages that contain aromatic principles onions, alcohol, etc. – are thus made evident in the breath, hours, sometimes days, after they have been eaten or drunk.
Bad breath that results from an irregular bowel function, has a faint odor similar to that of feces. Laxatives, irrigations, and enemas will relieve this condition only temporarily. The trouble lies deeper than in mere constipation. The balance between the body chemistry, absorption in the intestines, and the motor activity of the parts, must be put right. This cannot be accomplished through the sporadic cleaning out of the intestine by such means. It can be done only by the establishing of a normal action in the intestines, the proper and complete oxidation of the food elements through exercise and recreation,and a sensible selection and preparation of foods.