Halitosis is a state of health where the air exhaled by someone has an unpleasant odor. In common man’s language, it is known as bad breath smell, and many affected by it seek the help of dentists. The causes of bad breath vary a lot. For example, when consuming onions, garlic, fish, meat or cheese, one may develop an unpleasant breath. Likewise, some may face this malady due to the consumption of alcohol, smoking and obesity. Bad breath smell may be temporary or long-lasting. Temporary bad mouth odor is eliminated by flossing or brushing the teeth or with the help of a mouthwash and a toothbrush. But if bad breath continues to persist, it calls for medical attention.
Most frequent reasons for foul breath
Other than eating, bad breath smell may also be the result of many different problems. For example:
Tongue: It usually produces bacteria, aromatic compounds plus fatty acids that produce bad breath. Since it gets exposed to a wide range of bacteria, it needs to be cleaned frequently.
Mouth: there are six hundred kinds of odor producing bacteria that affect our mouth. The odor is produced as a result of chemical process that takes place when eating foods. The other reasons leading to the production of unpleasant odors within the mouth are unclean dentures, food particles getting stuck in gaps between teeth and other inter-dental issues.
Gum diseases: Certain food particles get deposited in the gum lines and often get transformed to waste products which can cause bad breath smell.
Tonsils: The decay of tonsils often causes an unpleasant breath. It is a serious matter and necessitates medical advice.
Nose: Foul smell could also be the result of strong-smelling air passing through the nostrils. Though not the same as oral odor, this is also termed under halitosis. The most usual cause for this malady is a sinus infection or the presence of foreign matter in the nose.
Esophagus: Bad odours may also be the result of improper closing of the valve between the stomach and the esophagus, as a result of which gases from the esophagus can escape through the mouth.
Systematic disease: Bad breath smell may also be the result of certain non-oral medical circumstances. This is very rare and the conditions causing it are:
- Bronchial and Lung failure
- Chronic Liver Failure
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Metabolic dysfunction
- Renal failure
Halitophobia
An interesting related problem is Halitophobia, where people continue to think that their breath smells bad, even if diagnosed otherwise. It is believed that 0.5-1 % of the entire population is affected by Halitophobia.
Treatment
Before starting the treatment of halitosis, doctors would often find out the reasons causing it. Dentists would eliminate the plaque that gets deposited between the teeth, and also recommend using mouthwashes, which often contain sodium chlorite and chlorine dioxide, which neutralize sulfurous compounds, and thus control the bacterial formation in the mouth. Patients having a dry mouth are recommended to use saliva substitutes.
