When you come face to face with your crush, what is the first thing that flashes across your mind? For me, it is “I hope my breath doesn’t smell”. Having bad breath is one of my greatest nightmares. But as it turns out, I’m not alone. Apparently, every 1 in 4 people in the world suffer from bad breath, also known as halitosis. That means that you, dear reader, could have bad breath too. Bad breath can be embarrassing and can cause anxiety, but luckily, it typically can be quite simple to treat.
Listed below are a few potential causes of bad breath.
Tobacco Products
Tobacco products cause its own odor, and can lead to gum diseases which also leads to your breath smelling.
Food
Breakdown of food in your mouth also causes a certain smell to be emitted, especially if you eat foods such as onion and garlic. If not cleaned away by brushing and flossing of teeth, these food particles can stay in your mouth for long periods of time and promote bacterial growth, causing bad breath.
Dry Mouth
Saliva contains enzymes that remove bacteria from your mouth. However, if you have a condition called dry mouth or xerostomia, the bacteria will not be removed, leading to bad breath. Certain medications may cause bad breath as they breakdown to emit an odor, or because they reduce saliva production.
Crash Diets
Crash diets may also cause bad breath as it causes the body to release more ketones which have a particular smell.
Cancer & Diseases
Some cancers, kidney failure and other metabolic diseases can also cause bad breath due to the specific mixes of chemicals they produce, emitting an odor.
Others
Sometimes, having a mouth, nose or throat condition like having small stones form on your tonsils can cause bad breath. Bad breath in children can also be caused by a foreign body being lodged in the nostrils.
What can you do to eradicate this problem?
If you have bad breath, the best treatment is to maintain consistent, good oral hygiene, to be more aware of the food you eat, avoiding products like garlic and onion, and to drink more water to keep your mouth moist. Also, visit our GreenLife dentists every 6 months to do a checkup. Typically, our dentists will also be able to treat the cause of your bad breath, be it periodontal disease or dry mouth. You can also seek the help of our dentists to identify an antiseptic mouthwash and a special toothpaste that can help you eliminate bacteria that may be causing your bad breath.
