Halitosis (Bad Breath): Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Bad breath, often known as halitosis, can occasionally be frightening and uncomfortable. Numerous behaviors, illnesses, and foods can cause bad breath. You can usually lessen bad breath with consistent, proper dental hygiene.

 If using simple self-care techniques to ease your bad breath isn't working, see your dentist or physician. Verify that your issue has nothing more serious at its root.

Causes Of Halitosis

The mouth is where bad breath usually starts, and there are many possible causes. Among them are:

• Food: Food fragments decomposing in and around your teeth may promote the growth of bacteria and an offensive stench. Certain foods, such as garlic, onions, and spices, can also cause bad breath. After being digested, these meals enter your bloodstream, make their way to your lungs, and then affect how you breathe.
• Products for cigarettes: Smokers' mouth smell is very unpleasant. Another prominent cause of bad breath is gum disease, which is particularly prevalent in oral tobacco users and smokers.
• Poor dental care: Inadequate brushing and flossing allow food particles to remain in your mouth and contribute to bad breath. The sticky, white film of germs that forms on your teeth is called plaque. Should plaque be left unbrushed, it can irritate your gums and eventually lead to the formation of pockets between your teeth and gums (periodontitis). On your tongue, there may also be bacteria that produce odors. Food particles and germs that produce unpleasant odors can be found in dentures that are ill-fitting or ignored.
• Mouth feeling dry and chapped: By getting rid of contaminants that cause offensive odors, saliva helps clean the mouth. Xerostomia, or "dry mouth," is a condition marked by a decrease in salivary flow that can aggravate bad breath.
• Dry mouth occurs during sleep and causes "morning breath," which exacerbates if you sleep with your mouth open. Chronic dry mouth can be brought on by certain diseases and issues involving your salivary glands.
• Medicines: Dry mouth, a side effect of some medications, can exacerbate bad breath. Certain drugs can break down inside the body and release molecules that can be breathed in.
• Oral cavity infections: Bad odors can also come from surgical wounds from oral surgery, such as tooth extractions, in addition to tooth decay, gum disease, and mouth sores.
• Other disorders which affect the throat, nose, and mouth: Odor-causing microorganisms may occasionally be the source of foul breath, since little stones may form in the tonsils. Chronic inflammation or infections in the nose, sinuses, or throat can also cause bad breath and exacerbate postnasal drip.
• Additional Diseases: Diseases such as some cancers and illnesses such as metabolic disorders may have a distinctive breath odor because of the compounds they produce. Gastritis (GERD), a persistent reflux of stomach acids, may be the cause of bad breath. A youngster may have terrible breath due to a foreign object, such as food particles lodged in their nose.

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Symptoms Of Halitosis

The underlying cause or source of foul breath can affect the smells connected with it. Some people care excessively about their breath and have little to no mouth smell, while others have bad breath and are unaware of it. It can be difficult to determine how much your breath stinks, so ask a close friend or relative to confirm your concerns.

Diagnosis Of Halitosis

Once your breath has been smelled through the mouth and nose, your dentist will most likely use a scale to rank the stench. Since the back of the tongue is where most odors begin, your dentist may also scrape there to identify the source of the stink.

There are sophisticated detectors that can identify the substances causing bad breath, albeit they aren't always available.

Also Read: Geographic Tongue: Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Treatment and Complications

Treatment Of Halitosis

To reduce bad breath, avoid cavities, and decrease gum disease, always practice good oral hygiene. Depending on what's causing the foul breath, the treatment plan may vary. Your dentist will likely advise that you visit your primary care physician if they find that there is a medical issue underlying your poor breath.

To assist you in better managing any conditions related to oral health, your dentist will work with you. Dental procedures could include:

• Mouthwash and toothpaste: If your bad breath is caused by plaque, which is a bacterial buildup on teeth, your dentist may recommend a mouthwash that kills bacteria. Your dentist may also recommend toothpaste that contains an antibiotic agent to help eliminate the bacteria that cause plaque to build.
• Treatment for oral health issues: If you have gum disease, you may be referred to a periodontist, or gum specialist. Your gums may pull away from your teeth due to gum disease, leaving behind deep pockets that are home to bacteria that cause bad breath. Sometimes professional cleaning is the only way to eradicate these microorganisms. Furthermore, your dentist may advise replacing any damaged teeth.

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