Halitosis (Bad Breath)

Question: Bad Breath (Halitosis), what causes it and what are the treatments available?

Halitosis: More than 90 million people suffer from chronic halitosis or bad breath. There are several different causes of bad breath, and the cause will determine the treatment.

Different causes of bad breath
-Certain foods: such as garlic and onions give a bad odor when they are expelled from the lungs after being digested and have traveled via the blood stream to the lungs.
-Poor oral healthcare: without proper and consistent brushing and flossing, food remains in the mouth, which is a breeding ground for bacteria, which in turn causes odorous breath. Food that is allowed to collect on the teeth, gums and tongue may cause the gum to break down and become necrotic (rot) this will cause an unpleasant odor and taste in the mouth.
-Improper cleaning of Dentures: Dentures that are not cleaned properly may collect bacteria and food particles that causes bad breath.
-Periodontal disease: One of the primary symptom of gum disease is foul odorous breath and an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
-Xerostomia ( Dry Mouth): This can be caused by certain medications, salivary gland disorder or by mouth breathing. The decrease in salivary flow reduces the mouth’s ability to clean itself of food debries and particles, this leads to bad breath.
-Tobacco Products: Cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco and snuff stain the teeth and put the body at risk for a host of diseases, it also causes bad breath.
-Certain medical conditions: such as chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases and some liver and kidney diseases.

Treatment of Halitosis ( bad breath)
Specific treatment depends on the cause of the condition. The dentist will evaluate the mouth to determine if the bad breath is of oral origin. If that is the case, then instituting proper oral hygiene including dental scaling and root planning, filling existing cavities and extraction of severely decayed teeth.If there is underlying gum disease then periodontal therapy from the gum specialist ( Periodontist) may be necessary.
Brushing the tongue to get rid of excessive food debries and the use of antimicrobial mouthrinses can also help.
Bad breath that is due to medical conditions have to be addressed by treating the underlying medical condition. For example treating chronic sinusitis with the proper medication or controlling a preson’s diabetes can alleviate the symptom of bad breath.

Recommendation:

Frequent dental checkup will usually prevent bad breath, however if good oral hygiene is being practiced and a person still has bad breath, then further investigation needs to be done and this may include a thorough medical workup to check for any underlying medical condition etc. Breath mints can be used to mask the smell in some cases, but addressing the source of the problem will yield a better long term result..