Halitosis or Bad Breath – Causes, Prevention & Treatment

Halitosis or Bad Breath – Causes, Prevention & Treatment

This is also the common health problem which I have seen in the population. Bad breath or Bad smell from mouth, also called Halitosis, can be socially very embarrassing. There are a number of potential causes of halitosis but the vast majority come down to oral hygiene.

Causes of Halitosis or bad breath :

According to dental studies, about 85 percent of people with persistent bad breath have a dental problem & 15 percent for other reason.

Dental Problem: Gum disease, Caries, Compromised tooth restoration, Ulcer, Oral Cancer, dry mouth, and bacteria on the tongue are some of the dental problems that can cause bad breath. 

General Problem: Bad breath can also be because of disease of nose and throat or food habit or for some medicine. Other cause can be for some cancers, and conditions such as metabolic disorders can cause a distinctive breath odour as a result of the chemicals they produce. Chronic reflux of stomach acids (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) can be associated with bad breath.

Food & Habits: Halitosis or Bad breath can be seen because of any strong smelling food, Alcohol, Tobacco & some Medicine. 

As a Dentist, mainly I will discuss the dental problem which causes bad breath.

bad breath

Gum Disease or Gingivitis & Periodontitis: Gum is the supporting structure, which surrounding tooth. Gum disease, also known as Gingivitis & Periodontist, is an infection of the gums that surrounding the teeth structure. It is also one of the main causes of Bleeding gum & tooth loss among adults. It can be caused by a number of factors, but poor oral hygiene is the most common cause.  Mainly for Dental Plaque & Calculus causes Gum problems.

Dental Caries/ Broken tooth: It is an irreversible microbial disease of the calcified tissues of the teeth, characterized by de-mineralization of the inorganic portion and destruction of the organic substance of the tooth. Multiple teeth/ grossly caries causes bad breath. 

Compromised tooth restoration: Overfilled, broken or compromised tooth restoration can cause food impaction & poor Oral hygiene. Old & badly maintained Denture also can cause bad breath.

Other Oral & Dental Causes: Chonic mouth Ulcer, Oral Cancer, dry mouth, and bacteria on the tongue are some of the dental problems that can cause bad breath. 

Prevention of Halitosis or bad breath:

• Rinse water after every food with sometimes use Chlorhexidine mouthwash. Know in how to maintain oral hygiene- CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE
• Stick to gentle, twice-daily brushing with a soft/medium bristle or electric brush 
• Use proper toothbrush & tooth paste.
• Clean your tongue with tongue cleaner.
• Floss once daily & you can massage gum with your finger.
• Chewing habit of hard & fibrous food is a good habit, don’t take always soft or liquid food.
• Clean nicely after taking smelly food like onion, ginger, egg, meat etc. 
• Avoid Tobacco, Alcohol
• Also be sure to schedule regular dentist visits for plaque and tartar removal. Every 6-month visit Dentist for scaling treatment, for prevention of dental & general health problems.

Treatments of Halitosis or bad breath: Treatment plan will be depending upon the causative factor. Visit Dentist immediately to know the proper cause & to solve the problem & do the necessary treatment after his advice.

• Antiseptic mouthwashes containing Chlorhexidine is given or Betadine gargle is recommended. Oral prophylaxis(Scaling) or Root planning needed for Periodontics. Commonly Antibiotics like Metronidazole, Doxycycline is used to solve gum problem along with oral hygiene maintain.
• In case of caries tooth then get treatment properly.
• If your tooth restoration is compromised then get the remove that & re-restoration is needed properly.
• Drink daily average of 2-4 Litter/day (adult normal Person) quantity of drinking water.

By- Dr. Anuran Ghosh Mondal

Spandan Dental Cure

Mob: +91 9432580313