Bad breath or oral malodor is the
term given to any unpleasant smell or odor emanating from the mouth. This can
cause a lot of embarrassment to those who suffer from it. There are a variety
of oral and systemic causes for bad breath. However, oral causes are found to
be more common.
Oral/ Dental Causes:
- Poor oral hygiene: Brushing twice a day and flossing regularly reduce the
build-up of ‘Plaque’, a bacterial film on the surface of the teeth. Build
up of plaque eventually leads to gum disease (periodontitis). The presence
of deep, food and plaque filled pockets between the teeth and gums in
periodontitis can significantly compromise oral health and hygiene leading
to oral malodor.
- Ill-fitting dentures or crowns can lead to the
accumulation of plaque and food particles.
- Dental cavities: Cavities in the tooth surface act as a reservoir
for decaying food and plaque. Sometimes, due to pain associated with a
dental cavity, oral hygiene is compromised by poor brushing habits.
- Erupting wisdom tooth:
Inflammation of tissues around an erupting wisdom tooth (pericoronitis)
can lead to food accumulation and poor hygiene practices due to the pain.
- Coated Tongue: Failure to clean the tongue regularly leads to a
build-up of food and plaque on the tongue surface, leading to bad breath.
- Oral infections: Pus in the oral cavity due to an infected tooth or
periodontitis can lead to a foul smell.
- Habits: Certain
habits such as mouth breathing can lead to a dry mouth due to reduced
saliva. This leads to a bad mouth odor.
- Long-standing oral ulcers that
interfere with oral hygiene.
- Smoking or tobacco chewing
habits
- Rarely, oral cancer can lead to
a bad breath
Other causes:
- Gastrointestinal problems such as reflux disorder and
peptic ulcer (acidity)
- Liver and Kidney disorders
- Medications such as
anti-histamines or anti-psychotics
- Enlarged, infected tonsils:
tonsillitis
- Chronic sinusitis, postnasal
drip
- Excessive alcohol
consumption
- Dietary habits such as
including a lot of onions or garlic
What to do?
- Maintain oral hygiene
- Regularly clean the tongue
surface
- Change any food, lifestyle
habits that might be contributing to the problem
- Use sugar-free mints after
meals
- Most Importantly, visit the
dentist every 6 months to one year. Any oral causes can be identified and
treated promptly by your dentist. In the case of a systemic cause
suspicion, your dentist will refer you to the concerned doctor.
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