• Foods, such as onions, may cause bad breath.onion image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com
  
  Health and dental problems and certain foods can be root causes of bad breath. Smoking also causes bad breath. Toothpaste and mouthwash might solve bad breath temporarily, but figuring out what is causing your bad breath, also known as halitosis, and learning proper dental hygiene techniques can put your breath on the path from bad to beautiful.
  
  

Food

• Foods with strong odors such as garlic and onions can be a factor in bad breath. The breakdown of food particles in and around your teeth can cause a foul order, according the Mayo Clinic website. Decrease your consumption of alcohol and coffee, and avoid other strong-smelling foods. Keeping a journal might help you determine what foods cause bad breath.
  
  

Dental Problems

• Lack of proper dental hygiene such as brushing and flossing contributes to bad breath. A colorless, sticky film of bacteria called plaque forms on your teeth; if you don't brush it away, it irritates the gums and causes tooth decay. Brushing your teeth and tongue after eating and flossing at least once a day could help improve bad breath.
  
  

Health Problems

• A condition called dry mouth may play a role in bad breath. Saliva cleans your mouth; when you don't have enough saliva, you can end up with bad breath. Drink water and chew sugarless gum to stimulate saliva. Also, about 10 percent of the bad breath problems come not from the mouth itself, but from other medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney or liver failure, cancers or chronic reflux of stomach acids, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Medications such as those used to treat high blood pressure can contribute to bad breath, as can a variety of mouth, nose and throat conditions.