Bad breath or what is often called halitosis may be caused by poor oral hygiene, but this is not always the case. It can also occur because of a number of health conditions, including dry mouth, heartburn, or even disease in other parts of your body. Treatment for halitosis depends on its underlying cause.
What is Halitosis? Halitosis is the medical term for bad mouth. Everyone experiences bad breath occasionally — especially after eating garlic, onions, or other hard foods. However, bad breath that doesn’t go away (chronic halitosis) may indicate that you have an oral health problem or a condition that affects other parts of your body.
Halitosis is a symptom of various conditions. In other words, it’s like an alert message from your body. Finding the root cause of bad breath is the first step in dealing with this problem.
Bad breath can vary, depending on the cause. Some people worry too much about their breath even if they have little or no bad breath. Others have bad breath and don’t know it. Because it’s difficult to know how your breath smells, ask a close friend or relative to see if you have bad breath.
Halitosis is a widespread condition, affecting around 1 in 4 people worldwide. A research study, which combined findings from 13 medical journal articles, found that halitosis affected approximately 31.8% of the population.
Bad breath can be embarrassing and in some cases even cause anxiety. It’s no surprise that store shelves are stocked with chewing gum, mints, mouthwash and other products to combat bad breath. But many of these products are only short-term solutions. That’s because they’re not addressing the root cause of the problem.
There are many causes of bad breath, just as there are many sources of bacteria in the mouth. Halitosis can be caused by the following:
Dry mouth (Xerostomia). This condition is frequently a key part of halitosis. When there is a major reduction in saliva production, the mouth cannot cleanse itself and remove debris and particles left behind by food. Dry mouth may be caused by certain medications, a salivary gland disorder, or by always breathing through the mouth instead of the nose.
- Poor oral healthcare. Without correct and regular brushing and flossing, and routine dental examinations, food remains in the mouth. It is a breeding ground for bacteria. Foods that collect on the teeth, gums, and tongue may rot. This causes an uncomfortable odor and taste in the mouth.
- Certain foods. The things you eat are connected to your oral health, including your breath. Items such as garlic and onions, or any food, are absorbed into the bloodstream. Until that food leaves the body, it has the potential to influence your breath.
- Improve cleaning of dentures. Dentures that are not cleaned correctly may be collecting bacteria, fungus, and remaining food particles, which cause bad breath.
- Periodontal disease. One of the main symptoms of this gum disease is bad-smelling breath and an unpleasant taste in the mouth. This condition needs immediate treatment by an oral health professional.
- Odor-causing bacteria on the tongue. Certain bacteria on the back of the language can interact with amino acids in foods and produce smelly sulfur compounds.
- A health condition. Bad breath may be a symptom of any of the following conditions. See your healthcare provider for a diagnosis:
A respiratory infection
Infection of the nose, windpipe, or lung
Chronic bronchitis
Postnasal drip
Chronic sinusitis
Diabetes
A gastrointestinal disorder
A liver or kidney disorder
Certain foods, health conditions and habits are among the causes of bad breath. In many cases, you can relieve bad breath by maintaining oral and dental hygiene. If you can’t treat bad breath on your own, see a dentist or other health care professional to make sure there isn’t a more serious condition causing it.
If you still have bad breath after treatment, see your dentist. If your dentist thinks there is a more serious condition causing your bad breath, you may need to see another hygienist to find out the cause of the odor.
