Bad breath, or halitosis, can be a chronic condition or occur on occasion. Woman Editor, TEMITOPE DAVID-ADEGBOYE, writes on its cause and how it can be treated.
Lick the back of your hand for a moment or the inside of your wrist and wait for the saliva to dry. If the area you licked smells unpleasant, it is likely that your breath does too. That test is called organoleptic, a scientific test to detect if you have mouth odour.
Better still, if you’ve ever noticed that colleagues or subordinate try to avoid you each time you go close to whisper into their ear, that may be because you have bad breath.
Many people suffer from bad breath. For most, it’s a problem that only rears its ugly head in limited situations, such as in the morning or after eating pungent food like garlic.
Bad breath is one thing that you might not notice yourself, and no one finds it easy to tell you. People avoid you, and you can lose friends easily. It is therefore important that you look out for yourself every morning before you step out. You can also be on the lookout for your good friends too!
According to the Academy of General Dentistry, for some 80 million people, halitosis is a problem that is ever-present, no matter whether they brush and floss their teeth, rinse with mouthwash or lick on mints.
Chronic bad breath can profoundly affect a person’s self-esteem and daily life, even to the extent that that person may isolate himself for fear of embarrassment. Many people (of all ages) have bad breath. Sometimes it is only for a short period, and with others, it is persistent (always).
It is estimated that up to 50 per cent of people have smelly mouth all the time. You can develop halitosis even if you brush and floss regularly, in fact, in most cases; bad breath is caused by the gums and tongue, not the teeth!
What causes bad breath?
The mouth contains millions of bacteria. In fact, there are probably more bacteria in your mouth than there are cells in your entire body.
In most cases, bad breath is caused by bacteria in the mouth breaking down bits of food.
Persistent bad breath is often a sign of gum disease.
Certain foods, such as garlic, can become digested, absorbed into your bloodstream, travel to your lungs and can cause your breath to smell unpleasant. Other contributors to halitosis include poor dental care, dry mouth, tobacco products and certain medications and medical conditions.
However, there are people who don’t have any of these contributors and yet have constant bad breath.
This very likely is caused by bacteria living on the back of the tongue.
These create a foul-smelling gas that resembles the smell of rotten eggs. Unfortunately, these bacteria usually live so far back on your tongue that brushing of tongue with a normal toothbrush can’t reach them.
What to do
Treatment for bad breath will depend on its cause.
Most of the time, proper oral hygiene is usually enough to prevent and treat bad breath. It is rarely life-threatening, and the prognosis is good.
Proper brushing: When you brush your teeth, try to brush the back of your tongue, where it is harder to reach. This will help remove the food trapped between your teeth, as well as the food trapped in the gum line.
To beat bad breath caused by germs, know that food supply is their food supply. Although you can try to kill bacteria with mouthwash, this is only a temporary solution. The bacteria will grow back over time.
Dental floss: The best defence is to brush the teeth thoroughly at least twice a day, and floss once a day. Otherwise, both of these areas would provide breeding grounds for bacteria. If food particles are left to linger, bad breath is imminent.
Regular checks: Make sure you visit your dentist for regular check-ups. Having regular dental check-ups will ensure any plaque is removed from your teeth, particularly in areas that are difficult to reach.
Also see a doctor or dentist if bad breath develops after taking a new medication, after recent dental surgery, or any other symptoms that are of concern develop.
If you still have bad breath after ensuring that you are doing your best with your teeth care, you definitely should speak to a dentist immediately, because there could be an underlying problem that needs immediate attention.
