Is Bad Breath Hereditary?

Some people with bad breath attempt to blame it on their parents or grandparents, but the fact remains that is not the case. Bad breath is not hereditary, nor is it contagious in the sense of transmitting diseases. Bad breath is caused by a variety of reasons, but genes are not one of them.

Although certain traits that are hereditary have been known to increase the susceptibility of bad breath. Just as you can inherit certain traits from your parents such as size and shape of your nose or eye color, a deep groove down the center of your tongue in which bacteria can find a comfortable place to live and grow, can be inherited.

Typically, the number one cause of bad breath is poor oral hygiene. This allows the growth of bacteria in the mouth, in crevices in the tongue, usually on the back of the tongue, as well is between the teeth or above and below the gum line. Brushing and flossing will remove the majority of bacteria but not all. As the bacteria grows, its waste products have an odor similar to sulfur, as they release sulfides into the mouth. Sulfur has an odor similar to rotten eggs and is not a very pleasant smell.

Digestive disorders, such as gastrointestinal problems, can also be blamed for bad breath. Certain illnesses involving the kidneys and liver have also been known to contribute to odiferous emanations from the mouth. Sinus problems can also cause bad breath due to their connections with the throat. Gum disease such as gingivitis and abscesses are also responsible for bad breath, most usually caused by poor oral hygiene.

Candidiasis is a bacterium that lives among other more common bacteria and a mouth infection caused by these bacteria is commonly known as thrush. Mostly found in the areas around the lips, inside the cheeks, the palate and the tongue, it has been known, if left untreated, to spread to the esophagus. This condition is often found in infants and small children who have a tendency to place objects in the mouth, which are not necessarily clean. These bacteria can cause severe bad breath, in addition to other health problems.

Persons taking certain medications, such as diuretics or antihistamines, may experience what is commonly referred to as dry mouth, another condition that is responsible for bad breath. Smoking and certain foods, onion, garlic and those high in protein, are known causes of bad breath. A sluggish liver can also be blamed, as can constipation.

While there is absolutely nothing you can do to eliminate some of your inherited traits, such as tongue shape, there are things you can do to reduce the formation of bacteria that causes bad breath. Oral hygiene is the most obvious, but the oft overlooked remedy can be simply scraping the bacteria from the tongue. The easiest method is use a spoon, turned upside down and scrape the back of the tongue to remove the bacteria.

This will not remove any bacteria living between the teeth under the gum line, adequate rinsing with an anti-bacterial mouth was can help eliminate those bacteria, but you can not blame your parents.