Dear Bad Breath,

Bad breath is often caused by improper dental care and the bacteria that builds up in your mouth when you don't follow a dental routine. It's important to brush your teeth frequently, at least twice a day or after every meal, and floss your teeth daily. When you brush your teeth, take time to brush your tongue as well — this helps clean your breath. And, make sure you try brushing and flossing before you go to bed to see if that helps your morning breath.

Smoking or drinking lots of coffee without brushing contributes to bad breath. So does an upset stomach (see answer to Bad breath and stomach). If your bad breath just started out of the blue, make a visit to your dentist to make sure that you don't have a decaying tooth or a dental infection, which could be causing an unusual odor.

Remember that everyone's breath is less than fresh in the morning, so if all suggestions fail, you may just want to refrain from talking to anyone until you brush your teeth or rinse your mouth after you wake up.

Alice

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