What can you you do for bad breath? What causes it? 1.Malodor can be caused by a smelly diet, like spices and garlic 2. A heavy tongue coating – stick your tongue out and look at it- what color is it It should be nice and pink not brown or white. 3.Gum disease can cause bad breath that doesn’t go away until you treat the gum disease- That means seeing a dentist- the deep cleaning for pockets or 4 or more- make sure your dentist or hygienist checks your pockets every cleaning-they tell you if you have bone loss or not. Yes Braces that are not cleaned well cause bad breath too!