Bad Breath-How To Know If You Have It
How do you know if you have bad breath? The fact is one out of four people have it with some studies reporting half the adult population suffering with this condition. So what causes the bad odor in your mouth?
Eating certain foods, health conditions and habits are major causes. In many cases, the problem can be resolved with proper dental hygiene. If you’ve tried improving your dental hygiene through better brushing and flossing and still don’t see improvement, you should consult with your dentist or doctor to rule out a more serious health problem as a cause of your condition.
External Causes: You can have external and internal sources for your odor. External sources can be certain foods in your meal, especially if you like spicy or strong foods (such as cooking spices, onions, garlic, and even tuna). If you think the smell in your breath may be caused by this reason, you’ll want to make a food log and record what you’re eating and when the problem appears. If you use tobacco or alcohol, you can also develop bad breath.
Internal Causes: Internal causes are conditions in your mouth that can affect the whole body. Your tongue provides a breeding ground for bacteria to attach and grow. Bacteria that produce odor release a chemical called volatile sulfur compound (VSC’s). The VSC’s that cause odor are hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptain. These odor causing bacteria live in the back area of your tongue.
Other Sources: There can be several sources that lead to odor formation in your mouth including: Poor denture hygiene can lead to food and plaque accumulation causing odors to develop; Dental problems such as poor dental hygiene, gingivitis and gum disease; Infections of the throat and sinus; Dry mouth due to poor saliva flow, especially when caused by medications or radiation therapy for cancer; Dieting; and having systemic diseases such as GI conditions, diabetes, kidney/liver failure, and lung infections or abscesses.
If the problem doesn’t go away with good daily hygiene care, schedule an appointment with your dentist to find out why. He may stock products designed to get rid of the VSC’s in your mouth.
Continue with your efforts to improve your dental cleaning techniques by brushing with a flouridated toothpaste, flossing, and using other over the counter aids such as an interproximal brush cleaner and a tongue scraper.
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