Bad breath, medically termed as halitosis, can strike at any time in anyone. It is embarrassing and may influence your social life, how you perceive yourself concerning self-esteem, and how you connect with others professionally. Therefore, the key to getting rid of bad breath mainly lies in an understanding of what causes it. In this blog, there are five common causes of bad breath and practical tips on how to get rid of it.
What is Bad Breath?
Bad breath is that awful odor coming from the mouth. It
might be associated with some cause. Sometimes these causes are transient and
then related to serious underlying diseases. Generally, everybody suffers from
bad breath sometimes, but permanent bad breath invokes attention.
Why Should One Care About Bad Breath?
Bad breath, commonly, results in social nervousness and
shyness. It may also signify oral or health issues that must be diagnosed.
Knowledge of the causes of bad breath aids a person in gaining control over dealing
with the condition when it sets in so as to purify one's breathing and health
status.
1. Poor Oral Hygiene
How It Contributes To Bad Breath
The most common cause of bad breath is bad oral hygiene
practices. Oral brushing and flossing ensure that food matter decomposes inside
your mouth, which is where bacteria come from. It is this bacterium that
produces those irritating compounds whose smell causes bad breath. The
development of gum disease also results from the build-up of plaque, hence
worsening the situation.
Improvement of Oral Hygiene
Brush Twice a Day: This would involve brushing your teeth
with fluoride toothpaste at least two times a day for two minutes with the
tongue being a possible harboring of bacteria that have been building in the
back.
- Floss every day: Flossing is about removing microscopic
pieces of food and plaque that form between your teeth, too tight to pass with
a toothbrush.
- Mouth Rinse: An antibacterial mouth rinse will help kill
bacteria from your mouth and out of your mouth.
- Dental Cleanings: She should see a dentist for professional cleanings and check-ups every six months.
2. Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)
How it Causes Bad Breath
Saliva prevents the mouth from being clean. It very
effectively destroys food residues and bacterial deposits. Xerostomia is
essentially the condition when the salivary glands are not able to secret
enough saliva. So, dry mouth can develop due to many reasons such as
medication, a medical condition, or even mouth breathing.
How to Combat Dry Mouth
- Hydrate: Drink water throughout the day to keep moist inside
the mouth.
- Chew Sugar-Free Gum: Stomach fluids stimulate saliva that
cleans away debris and bad breath causing bacteria
- Use Saliva Substitutes: Drugs available over-the-counter
offer temporary relief of pain related to dry mouth
- Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol: Both caffeine and alcohol dry out mouths-contributing to bad breath.
3. Dietary Habits
How It Causes Bad Breath
Sometimes, food is the cause of bad breath. Some food has
volatile compounds. For example, garlic, onions and spices have volatile
compounds. These volatile compounds diffuse in the blood and later are exhaled
out from the lung. Huge amounts of protein cause huge amounts of ketone, and
you stink of some other thing .
Food-induced bad breath control
Reduce Pungent Smelling Foods: Avoid your consumption of
garlic and onions and so on to be consumed before any such social gatherings.
- Good Oral Hygiene After Every Meal: Brush your teeth or
rinse with water after every meal. This will remove remaining food pieces and
the smell.
- Crunching Raw Vegetables and Fruits: Chewing your apples,
carrots, and celery will stimulate natural scrubbing action of the teeth and
fresh feeling in your mouth.
- Odoriferous Foods: Parsley, mint, and yoghurt may help reduce bad smells
View More: What Are Various Deep Breathing Exercises You Can Perform For Good Health
4. Smoke and Tobacco Use
How It Causes Bad Breath
Chronic tobacco is another possible cause of bad breath.
Smoking dries the mouth, lowers the salivary flow, and produces destructive
chemicals that enhance the odor. Smokers also provoke gum disease, which feeds
advancement of foul breath.
How To Treat Tobacco Induced Bad Breath
Quit Smoking: Quitting smoking as well as other tobacco
products is the treatment to prevent the foul breath caused by tobacco.
- Consultation: Tobacco can be quit through counseling,
support groups, or nicotine replacement therapies.
- Oral Hygiene: Gargling and brushing teeth frequently along
with usage of mouthwashes can reduce the impact of tobacco on your breath.
- Dental Consultation: Regular dental check-ups can overcome oral health-related issues from tobacco .
5. Medical Conditions
How They Cause Bad Breath
Some medical conditions are associated with bad breath.
Respiratory infections, sinusitis, diabetes, and diseases in the
gastrointestinal system contribute to bad breath. In this scenario, the
condition has to be treated to allow relief from bad breath.
Treatment of Medical Conditions
- Consult a Doctor: In case bad breath persists even after
doing oral hygiene, visit a doctor to rule out other underlying medical
conditions.
- Proper management of conditions like diabetes or GERD or
sinuses ensures good oral health, thus the habit of bad breath is eliminated.
- Routine Check-Ups: Routine checkup may discover and manage other health issues in their primary stages.
Other Tips for Fresh Breath
Healthy Diet
A mix of fresh fruits and vegetables with whole grains and
lean proteins prevents bad breath. Much less sugar and processed food helps create
a lesser risk of cavities or oral bacteria growth.
Stay Hydrated
Water hydrates the body and also keeps saliva production up,
which is good for oral health or fresh breath.
Use Breath Fresheners Wisely
Whereas breath mints and gum can mask the odor temporarily,
most consist of sugar, which is the primary cause of decay in most people. Try
to minimize using as many sugar products as possible.
Denture Cleaning
A denture or any other dental appliance should be cleaned
daily and removed before nightfall to avoid harboring poor oral hygiene.
Conclusion
Bad breath is a condition that is embarrassing and
uncomfortable but its root cause has to be known first before the treatment
can be found. Still, so many prevention techniques like maintaining hygiene, hydration,
conscious food selection, and the treatment of any other illness or disease
could reduce the risk greatly.
This therefore implies that if you are going to suffer from
chronic foul odor in your mouth, you should visit a health care provider or dentist
for an extensive check-up. Do this, heed your oral health, and you will surely
enjoy fresh breath beside boosted self-confidence every time you go out to play
in society. After all, fresh breath can be that good feeling, but it also may
well indicate some degree of your general well-being and health.
Please book an appointment with the best Dentist in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, or call our helpline at 03171777509 to find the verified doctor for your disease.
