Having a really bad breath can be very disturbing to both you and everyone around you.
Its one of the factors that can prove to people that you have bad hygiene in your body.
This situation can cause you to lose friends around you, and reduce your confidence in physical communication.
Today, we’ll look at what bad breath is, it’s causes and solutions.
This would help us understand it, and find out ways to prevent or treat it properly for good hygiene purpose.
Bad Breath: Causes & Solutions
Halitosis, also known as (bad breath), may be due to poor oral hygiene, but this isn’t always the case.
It can also occur due to a number of health conditions, including dry mouth, heartburn or even disease in another part of your body.
Bad breath, can be embarrassing and in some cases may even cause anxiety.
It’s no wonder that store shelves are overflowing with gum, mints, mouthwashes and other products to fight bad breath.
But many of these products are only short-term measures.
That’s because they don’t address the cause of the problem.
Causes Of Bad Breath
Foods with strong odor can cause bad breath. These foods includes; Garlic, Onions, etc.
These food causing odor can be treated by regular cleansing of the mouth. This means it can be treated.
But bad breath that doesn’t go away (chronic halitosis) could mean you have an oral health issue or a condition that’s affecting another part of your body.
Certain foods, health conditions and habits are among the causes of bad breath.
In many cases, you can make bad breath better by keeping your mouth and teeth clean.
If you can’t solve bad breath yourself, see your dentist or another healthcare professional to be sure a more serious condition isn’t causing it.
The main causes of bad breath include;
1. Poor Oral Hygiene
This is caused when you don’t properly brush and floss, chances are that you retain food particles in your mouth that can lead to halitosis.
Over time, these food particles form bacteria-laden plaques on your teeth, leading to gingivitis.
If left untreated, this can progress to a more severe condition known as periodontitis.
However, note that food particles that are not properly eliminated can also harbor more bacteria in your tongue.
2. Dry Mouth
Yes!!! This is one of the factors that causes bad breath due to lack of saliva.
Saliva helps to wash your mouth, so if your body isn’t making enough saliva, it can lead to halitosis.
Also, smoking can cause dry mouth, and it also increases your risk for gum disease. Additionally, certain medications can cause dry mouth.
Dry mouth naturally occurs during sleep, leading to “morning breath.”
It gets worse if you sleep with your mouth open.
Constant dry mouth can be caused by a problem with the glands that produce saliva and by some diseases.
So, try sleeping with your mouth closed, take enough water before bed and when you wake up in the morning.
3. Foods
Mentioned it earlier, that there are certain kinds of foods that can cause serious mouth odor in the body.
Certain foods and spices contribute to bad breath. Examples include garlic and onion.
After digestion, the active substance is circulated through the bloodstream, and from the lungs, it makes its way to your exhaled air.
The breakdown of food particles in and around your teeth can lead to more bacteria and cause a foul odor.
Eating certain foods, such as onions, garlic and spices, also can cause bad breath.
After you digest these foods, they enter your bloodstream, are carried to your lungs and affect your breath.
RELATED: Top Cancer Causing Foods To Watch Out For
4. Mouth & Throat Infection
Do you know that surgical wounds after mouth surgery, such as tooth removal, as well as tooth decay, gum disease or mouth sores, can cause bad breath?
Well, yes it does!!!
Small stones that form in the tonsils, called tonsil stones or tonsilloliths, are covered with bacteria that can cause bad breath.
Infections, or constant swelling in the nose, sinuses or throat, can lead to postnasal drip.
And this therefore, leads to bad breath.
Mouth sores, gum diseases, and throat infection, can lead to mouth odor condition.
Other causes include;
- Diabetes
- Medicines
- Smoking of Tobacco Products, and many more!!!
Solutions Of Bad Breath
This condition can actually be controlled, and treated, so you don’t have to panic when you discover you have them.
Although, it’s treatment depends on the root cause of the issue.
For example, if bad breath is due to poor oral hygiene, a dental cleaning and improved oral hygiene at home will likely help.
This means you have to change your toothbrush regularly, brush teeth, clean, floss your tongue accurately.
Make use of a really good mouthwash when brushing your teeth. This would help your breath remain fresh all day.
You also might need to adjust your diet. Avoid eating foods that contain high amount of garlic or onions in them.
Also, you need to abstain from smoking of tobacco or cigarettes, as they ruin both breath and teeth.
Furthermore, try dehydrating consistently and regularly. This would keep your mouth from being dry and sticky.
Lastly and most importantly, go for regular dental checkups.
This is because, if halitosis is a symptom of another condition somewhere else in your body, your primary healthcare provider can help you with proper diagnosis and treatment.
Takeaways
Prevention of bad breath is usually better than it’s cure or it’s treatment.
This is because, if there is no prevention, there is a 99% chance that the condition will still persist again even after treatment.
Therefore, under the solution segment of this article, are ways by which one can prevent bad breath from occurring.
Additionally, it is important to book an appointment with a dentist for medical treatment if the lifestyle modifications don’t give the desired results.
By so doing, you will get the appropriate treatment and save yourself from any form of public or social embarrassment.