What Are the Causes of Bad Breath?

A badbreath, medically known as halitosis is not only a social nuisance, but also a pretty definitive indicator of poor general and dental health. People having foul smelling breath are not only shunned at work, but also tend to have fewer friends and a limited social circle as well. Hence, it is imperative to have knowledge of factors that are responsible for causing halitosis as well its prevention and management.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Halitosis is a multifactorial problem which can be caused by various general or medical reasons.

Poor Oral Hygiene

The most common cause of a bad breath is poor oral hygiene. A failure to brush teeth after meals can cause disintegration of the food particles that get adhered to the teeth and the oral cavity, which is brought about by bacteria which produce highly foul smelling sulfur dioxide gas. The presence of sulfur dioxide gas in the oral cavity is the major reason for foul breaths.

Prolonged ignorance of oral hygiene in some patients can result in deposition and ultimately calcification of food and debris on the teeth. Calcified deposits in addition to inflamed gums are also a source of foul smelling breaths

Alcohol

It is a common occurrence that alcoholic individuals are more frequently found to have bad breaths. Research has shown that alcohol can reduce salivary production and flow. Since saliva acts as a bathing and cleansing medium for the oral cavity, absence of sufficient salivary production results in development of an extremely bad odour within the oral cavity.

Tobacco

Smoking or chewing tobacco not only causes extrinsic tooth stains, but also results in development of halitosis. The situation is further aggravated in case of absence of oral hygiene measures.

Diet

Several components of diet are known to possess a strong smell and can cause halitosis. These include people who are fond of eating large quantities of garlic, onions and certain spices. Intake of these dietary components results in generation of bacteria that are responsible for bad breath

Effect of Time of Day

Breaths smell bad more during the day than in evening or night. This is because at night the salivary glands are at rest and functioning normally. However, during sleep, salivary activity is reduced, which is the reason our breaths smell strong, even to us immediately after getting up.

Xerostomia

Xerostomia refers to any medical or dental condition in which salivary output is decreased in the oral cavity. Local causes include alcohol and smoking while systemic reasons include various medications and illnesses such as Sjogren’s syndrome and Diabetes Mellitus.

Gastrointestinal Problems

Several gastrointestinal problems such as indigestion or peptic ulcer disease also contribute to halitosis. The main reason behind these ailments is having an irregular diet pattern and lack of sufficient physical activity

Managements

The first step in management is the identification and eradication of the root cause. a dentist, along with the general physician of the patient team up to identify possible medical or dental causes of the problem and them correct it. In case of a dental infection, instructions regarding oral hygiene maintenance along with antibiotics in case of severe infections are usually prescribed by the dentist. However, in case of any systemic medical illness, it is necessary to get the problem treated by a medical doctor.

As discussed before, treatment of the root cause is imperative, a temporary solution of halitosis can be sought with help of various vegetables such as cinnamon, cadmium and parsley. These have been shown to reduce bad oral odour and enhance breath freshness.

In Conclusion

Halitosisis a condition which is easily treatable. The best treatment is to maintain perfect oral hygiene, which includes brushing twice a day, flossing ,  mouthwash and visiting your dentist regularly.