Bad breath is a bad smell that bothers the person, usually caused by the person's inability to fully maintain their oral hygiene. Although oral hygiene is provided, if there is a long and unpleasant smell, it may develop due to other diseases.
Generally, an unpleasant odor in the morning is considered physiologically normal.
It occurs as a result of food that is eaten or drunk in the evening between teeth and accumulates in the tongue. It is not permanent and will pass after the teeth are brushed and oral care is performed.
Some people think that their mouth smells, even though they don't have any bad breath. The person who is uncomfortable with this condition can see a dentist.
Sometimes there may be odors from outside the mouth; these can occur from diseases related to the stomach and upper respiratory tract. In these cases, the underlying cause should be investigated and treated first.
Bad breath can get worse than the types of food you eat and other unhealthy lifestyle habits.
Permanent bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth can also be a sign of gum (periodontal) disease. Factors that accumulate plaque in the teeth and irritate the gums can cause gum disease. If bad breath is caused by gum disease, it should be treated as soon as possible. Diseases caused by untreated gingiva can damage the tooth and jaw bone.
Other Causes That May Cause Bad Breath
Intraoral fungal infections
Dental caries
Sinusitis
Tonsillitis
Reflux, Stomach and intestinal system diseases
Prolonged fasting
Alcohol use
Cigarettes and tobacco products
Dry mouth
Angina
Diseases such as nose and adenoid
Diabetes
Liver failure
It can also be a symptom of systemic diseases such as kidney failure.
Especially the smell similar to acetone-fruit smell in diabetic patients and ammonia-like bad smell in kidney diseases is quite characteristic.
Diagnostic Methods
If the smell is caused by gum disease, your dentist can treat the disease. Halitosis may come to a level that will disturb not only the person but also the people around him after a while.
A mouth-tooth examination and x-ray can be done to detect dental caries. In addition, the diagnosis of gum diseases can also be made by examination.
Various blood tests may be requested after the examination to be carried out to investigate other conditions that may cause bad breath.
Treatment Methods
The underlying cause of bad breath may be poor hygiene. In this case, simple methods such as performing the daily cleaning of the teeth in the best way and using dental floss, mouthwash and tongue brushes can work.
Teeth should be brushed 3 times a day and at least 2 minutes using fluoride toothpaste, after each meal, the residual food residues should be cleaned with dental floss and antibacterial mouthwashes should be used if necessary.
In addition to dental care, you can also remove bacteria that accumulate in the tongue during the day with tongue cleaning brushes specially produced to remove bacteria on the tongue. If you are using a prosthetic tooth, you should remove it at night and clean it thoroughly before fitting the next day.
Low water consumption during the day is also among the factors that can cause bad breath. Drinking water stimulates the production of saliva, which helps remove bacteria located in the mouth. In addition, if the person smokes, it plays an important role in bad breath in quitting smoking.
If the oral and dental health is well cared for but its heavy smell does not disappear then other underlying causes can be looked into.
If bad breath develops due to caries or infection in the gums, bad breath can be treated by applying the most appropriate treatment methods by the dentist. Tooth stones are among the other factors that cause bad breath, and they need to be cleaned once a year. A healthy person is recommended to have a mouth and teeth examination twice a year.