Such a problem can affect self-esteem and interfere with comfortable communication with people. And also – signal health problems, and not only teeth and gums. We figure out why bad breath can occur, how to prevent it from appearing and what to do if it already exists.
Main
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Bad breath happens to everyone from time to time. It’s normal if you’ve eaten something with a strong smell or smoked a cigarette.
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To mask the smell, you can eat a mint or rosemary leaf, chew gum, or drink green tea.
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If bad breath occurs regularly and is not related to food, it may be a sign of some diseases of the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract. In this case, it is better to consult a specialist. You should start with a dentist.
Why might bad breath occur?
Bad breath has its own official name – halitosis . It is not that rare – about 50-65% of the world’s population suffers from it.
Halitosis may also be accompanied by a number of other symptoms:
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dry mouth;
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plaque on the teeth, near the gums and on the tongue;
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unpleasant metallic taste in the mouth;
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postnasal drip, which is the movement of secretions from the nasal cavity into the pharynx.
However, an unpleasant smell is not an independent phenomenon . It is always a consequence of gastronomic experiments, a symptom of pathologies in the oral cavity or a sign of other diseases.
Food
After breakfast, lunch or dinner, food particles may remain in the mouth. If they are not cleaned, they will hide on the teeth, where they will gradually disintegrate – along with this, bacteria will begin to grow in the oral cavity. The latter digest proteins in the process of life – this is what causes an unpleasant smell.
Certain foods, such as onions, garlic, broccoli and white cabbage, can cause halitosis even with daily and high-quality dental hygiene. It’s because of their composition – they contain sulfur compounds, which after digestion enter the bloodstream, then the lungs, and from where they are exhaled. Spicy foods can also provoke bad breath, but due to irritation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus and stomach – heartburn with the “aroma” of undigested food occurs. The likelihood of encountering this is especially high in people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Lack of saliva
Saliva helps clean the oral cavity – remove those same food particles. If there is not enough of it, food is retained, bacteria multiply, and odor appears. A lack of such a natural “cleaning agent” can lead to xerostomia , that is, dry mouth. A lack of saliva can be caused by various reasons:
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snoring or mouth breathing during sleep;
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some diseases: diabetes, injury to nerves that affect the functioning of the salivary glands, or stones in them.
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age-related changes;
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dehydration;
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taking certain medications: diuretics, antihistamines, antidepressants, drugs for high blood pressure;
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smoking and alcohol.
Irregular hygiene or oral diseases
If you brush your teeth infrequently or poorly, plaque may form on them – a colorless film of bacteria. Over time, the problems also affect the gums: pockets form between them and the teeth, which are then also filled with plaque. At first, gingivitis may appear without treatment , and if the problem is ignored for a long time, bone tissue will also be affected – periodontitis will occur .
People with dentures or braces should be especially careful about hygiene – these are favorite habitats for bacteria. Insufficient cleaning of such orthodontic structures can also cause halitosis.
Other diseases
Diseases that may be accompanied by bad breath include :
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chronic tonsillitis (with the formation of purulent plugs in the tonsils);
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GERD;
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esophageal diverticula;
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rhinosinusitis;
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deviated nasal septum.
You can suspect something like this if, after good hygiene, treatment at the dentist and a review of your diet, the problem with the smell does not go away.
Alcohol
Regular drinkers have a unique type of breath. It occurs because acetaldehydes and other odorous byproducts are formed during the oxidation of alcohol in the mouth and liver. Alcohol can also cause dry mouth.
Smoking
Nicotine can affect the population of bacteria in the mouth, increasing the number of those that accumulate in periodontal pockets and produce volatile sulfur compounds that smell like rotten eggs. Smoking also increases the risk of xerostomia and inflammation of the gums and teeth, such as periodontitis.
How to tell if you have bad breath
It is quite difficult to feel bad breath on your own. But there are several ways that can help .
Smell a handkerchief or dental floss
Wipe the back of your tongue with a cotton handkerchief. If there is an unpleasant odor on it, it is most likely coming from your mouth. The procedure for checking with dental floss is similar: run it between your teeth and then smell it. Try to get not only the spaces between your teeth, but also the back walls – food particles often linger there.
Breathe into your palms
A classic method from an ad or a movie. Cover your nose and mouth with your hands, exhale and smell to see if there is a smell.
Lick your wrist
Not with the tip, but with your whole tongue. Wait about a minute for the saliva to dry, and then sniff.
Ask another person
The most reliable way. You can contact a dentist, a close friend, a relative – any person you are ready to trust with such a question and who will not judge or give incorrect comments. The main thing is to ask him to be as honest as possible and not to keep silent about the smell out of politeness.
What to do if there is bad breath
If the bad breath only appears after eating garlic or smoking, it is enough to mask it. The following will help with this:
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Essential oils. Solutions of tea tree, eucalyptus, thyme, and lemongrass oils are suitable. You need to mix literally a couple of drops with a glass of water and rinse your mouth. Or add the oil to toothpaste. Important: make sure the oil is safe for consumption.
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Herbs . Parsley, fennel, rosemary, and mint are good at dealing with bad breath – just chew them.
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Cloves . Dried but not ground. Can be sucked or chewed.
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Green tea. It contains polyphenols that act on the bacteria Solobacterium moorei, which produces an unpleasant odor.
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Chewing gum . Chewing gum will not only mask the smell, but will also stimulate the production of saliva.
And if bad breath occurs regardless of food intake, it is worth taking a slightly more thorough approach to daily dental hygiene : brush them at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Already at this stage, you will remove food debris and plaque, which can lead to gum inflammation and bone damage.
And it is also better not to postpone a visit to the dentist. The doctor will examine the condition of the teeth and, if the cause of the smell is in them, will offer the appropriate treatment. If the specialist determines that everything is fine on his part, but there is plaque on the tonsils, mucus on the back wall of the throat or pockets in the gums, then he will be able to advise you to contact another specialist. For example, if the problem is with the gums – to a periodontist.
How to Prevent Bad Breath
There are a few simple rules that will help you deal with the smell.
Maintain oral hygiene
You should use a brush and paste twice a day. But you don’t have to limit yourself to just that — it may not be enough, for example, if the space between your teeth is very narrow. You can include the following steps in your daily routine:
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use mouthwash after meals;
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cleaning the back of the tongue with a special scraper;
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using dental floss or an irrigator in the evening to remove food debris;
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cleaning and disinfection of braces or dentures, if any.
Visit your dentist regularly
The time between examinations can vary from 3 months to 2 years. There are no general recommendations – the frequency of visits depends on the condition of the teeth and gums.
Drink enough water
Here, too, everything is individual – focus on the feeling of thirst. Water will help saliva remove food debris: it will help reduce the likelihood of developing caries and the risk of dry mouth.