Bad breath or halitosis is one of the most touchy topics that not many would like to talk about. What could be more embarrassing than being told that your mouth stinks, right?
So, it’s indispensable that one knows the cause of this menacing oral problem to be more knowledgeable in the know-hows of eliminating such offensive odor or how to keep it at bay.
The Makings of Bad Breath
Consumption of bad breath causing food or beverages such as garlic, coffee, raw onions, cabbage, cheese, soda, orange juice, etc., is one of the well-known reason behind that not so agreeable odor from the mouth.
Poor oral hygiene is also another apparent factor why bad breath continues to plague one’s mouth. When one is not in the habit of flossing and brushing his or her teeth well, bad breath is inevitable.
Cavities, or dental caries, aside from being one of the most painful dilemma in one’s life, can add to the nuisance caused by bad breath.
Vices such as alcoholism and cigarette smoking are also known as major culprits that cause that frowned upon mouth odor.
Drugs such as triamterene, insulin injection, and paraldehyde can also help in making bad breath noticeable.
The presence of medical conditions such as gingivitis, other gum diseases, throat infection, sinusitis, abscessed or impacted tooth, and lung infection are possible causes of halitosis. Other diseases that are associated with this foul breath odor include the following:
- Pharyngitis
- Atrophic rhinitis
- Acute necrotizing ulcerative mucositis
- Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis
- Bowel obstruction (feces-smelling breath)
- Chronic renal failure (ammonia-smelling breath)
- Esophageal cancer
- Hepatic encelopathy
- Gastric carcinoma
- Bronchiectasis
- Zenker’s diverticulum
- Acute renal failure
- Diabetes (fruit-smelling breath)
- Gastrojejunocolic fistula (fruit-smelling breath)
After knowing what makes bad breath occur, here are ways on how to combat this embarrassing problem:
Avoiding foods that cause halitosis may or may not be easy for some, but this should be one of the simplest methods that one can do to eliminate bad breath, that is if he or she does not have any health problem, which is also possible cause of the problem.
Of course, brushing one’s teeth at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day can also keep bad breath at bay. However, there’s a proper way of brushing the teeth. Striking the teeth with a toothbrush in a vertical manner is advised to get rid of the wedged food particles between the teeth more effectively. One must also not apply too much pressure in brushing the teeth since this might cause the bleeding of the gums. Wounded gums can actually aggravate bad breath since it will make the gums prone to bacterial infection.
Scraping the tongue should also become a habit to ensure that the breath does not turn foul. This is because the tongue, aside from the teeth, is one of the favorite spots of the breath-fouling bacteria to inhabit.
Avoiding alcohol and smoking can also do good in improving one’s struggle against bad breath.
One should also be more aware that some drugs are known to have bad breath as one of their side effects. With this in mind, one should take extra care not to make the situation worse, e.g., avoid eating halitosis-causing food, don’t forget to brush the teeth, etc.
If all else fails, the dentist may be the remaining solution. A dentist can easily know what really is causing one’s breath to rot. Then, he or she can refer health experts that can help one to get rid of his or her bad breath. When told to consult with a physician to confirm regarding the particular cause of bad breath, one should not be embarrassed when instructed to breathe for the doctor to take a whiff of the breath. This is one way for the doctor to detect the underlying cause of halitosis. If the physician finds out that a certain medical problem is the root cause of this condition, it is a must to grasp well all the information that the doctor will disclose. Also, as with any health checkup, one should ask if there’s anything that he or she wishes to know in adjunct to the solving of one’s bad breath dilemma.
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Health And Beauty
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