Nutrition and diets 

Bad breath - causes and treatment

The success of a person in our world is determined not only by the mind and quickness of thinking, purposefulness, charisma and efficiency. Self-confidence, charm, energy play a significant role in this. We are embarrassed by bad breath in the morning or at the dentist. We are worried about bad breath at the time of important negotiations or romantic meetings, distracting from work or not allowing us to express our thoughts at the right time. Halitosis is the medical definition of this problem. Bad breath is for some people already a psychological problem and it is not only possible, but necessary to solve it.

Are the reasons always the same?

Sometimes the smell from the mouth is heard by others only during close contact with a person, and he, in turn, greatly exaggerates the scale of the problem.

Bad breath can come on suddenly, appear intermittently, or be a constant companion throughout the day. There are different types of halitosis:

  1. True halitosis (when objectively others notice unpleasant breathing in a person). The reasons for it can be both in the peculiarities of physiology, human metabolism, and act as a symptom of diseases.
  2. Pseudogalitosis (there is a subtle bad breath felt on close contact with a person, to a large extent the patient himself exaggerates the scale of the problem).
  3. Halitophobia (the patient is dominated by fear and the belief that he has bad breath, and the dentist does not find obvious evidence of this).

Depending on whether the patient complains of "morning" breath (lack of freshness in the mouth upon waking up) or "hungry" breath (unpleasant smell on an empty stomach), the doctor may suggest possible causes of its occurrence.

The main culprits of physiological halitosis are plaque on the teeth and the back third of the tongue, tartar, food debris in the oral cavity, “odorous” foods that a person ate the day before, microorganisms, tobacco, and alcohol. Saliva normally cleans the surface of the teeth and tongue, constantly reducing the activity of microbes due to its composition.

With poor oral hygiene and the accumulation of plaque, microorganisms (mainly anaerobic bacteria) as a result of active life produce hydrogen sulfide, which gives the exhaled air an unpleasant shade. During sleep, a person is at rest for a long time, the secretion of saliva and its movement in the mouth decreases, bacteria take advantage of this and, as a result, bad breath in the morning. After brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth, all processes set in motion, the smell disappears.

Pathological halitosis can occur as a result of diseases of the teeth, gums, tonsils (oral), or be a symptom of diseases of other organs and systems (gastrointestinal tract, liver, respiratory organs, etc.).

We are looking for the cause in the oral cavity

The main causes that are in the human oral cavity and are associated with the appearance of bad breath are the following:

  • carious cavities in the teeth;
  • accumulation of plaque in pathological gingival pockets, formation of tartar (with periodontitis);
  • the formation of a gingival "hood" over the erupting wisdom tooth and the ingress of food debris under it;
  • stomatitis of various etiologies;
  • diseases of the salivary glands, in which the viscosity of saliva and its cleansing ability are sharply reduced;
  • tongue diseases;
  • the presence of orthopedic structures in the oral cavity (crowns, dentures, plates and braces in children);
  • increased sensitivity and exposure of the necks of the teeth with loss of bone tissue and atrophy of the gums, which makes it difficult to care for the teeth and contributes to the accumulation of plaque.

Both medications taken (antibiotics, hormonal drugs, antihistamines) and stress can have a temporary effect on the composition and properties of saliva. Saliva becomes viscous, viscous, it is produced much less, which causes the development of xerostomia (dry mouth).

Halitosis as a symptom of diseases

Bad breath can be a symptom of various diseases. In ancient times, doctors could diagnose an onset disease by assessing breath and smell.

Allocate extraoral causes of the development of halitosis, i.e., not directly related to the oral cavity.

These include:

  • diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, gastroduodenitis, gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, insufficiency of the gastric sphincter, in which food is thrown back into the esophagus, which is accompanied by belching and heartburn);
  • diseases of the liver and biliary tract (liver failure, hepatitis,). They are characterized by a "fishy", "fecal" smell from the mouth, the smell of rotten eggs;
  • chronic infections of the nasopharynx and areas adjacent to the oral cavity (, rhinitis, adenoiditis, tonsillitis, sinusitis);
  • respiratory infections;
  • (the smell of ammonia in the exhaled air);
  • metabolic diseases (diabetes).

How to evaluate breathing?

Many people who have unpleasant repulsive breath are not even aware of the problem. It is good if a close person or friend points to it. But this is not always possible, relatives are afraid to offend a loved one, and colleagues prefer to reduce communication with him to a minimum. But the problem remains.

There are several ways to test yourself:

  • ask someone close to evaluate the smell of the mouth;
  • lick the wrist (spoon, napkin), let dry and smell;
  • clean the gaps between the teeth with odorless dental floss, dry, evaluate the smell;
  • use a pocket apparatus (halimeter) to measure the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in exhaled air. Evaluation is made on a scale from 0 to 4 points;
  • if you want to know exactly the degree of bad breath, you can be examined on special ultra-sensitive equipment by a specialist.

How to treat bad breath?


To get rid of bad breath, first of all, due attention should be paid to oral hygiene.

First of all, take care of oral hygiene. Regularly brush your teeth according to all the rules, using not only a brush and paste, but additional tools: dental floss, a tongue scraper, rinses that reduce the concentration of bacteria in saliva. Many people do not suspect that the main accumulation of plaque occurs at the root of the tongue, on the back third of its back.

You need to clean your tongue every day. You can use a toothbrush for this, on the back of the head of which there is a rubber studded pad specifically for this purpose. But in some people, such cleaning causes a strong gag reflex. Specialists have developed special scrapers for cleaning the tongue for such patients. As an option to reduce vomiting at the time of cleansing, use toothpaste with a strong mint flavor or hold your breath while the scraper comes into contact with the root of the tongue.

Even the familiar rinsing of the mouth with water after eating has a significant effect, removing food debris from the folds and preventing microbes from converting them into acids and hydrogen sulfide.


Rinses and toothpastes

For people suffering from halitosis, it is recommended to use products containing antiseptics such as Triclosan, Chlorhexidine, and baking soda. It has been proven that a 0.12-0.2% solution of Chlorhexidine reduces the number of anaerobic bacteria by 81-95% for 1.5-3 hours. A good effect is the use of rinses and toothpastes with Triclosan (0.03-0.05%). Antihalitic effect is exerted by toothpastes and gels, which contain 3-10% carbamide peroxide. But alcohol-containing rinses with constant use cause dryness of the mucous membranes in the mouth and a decrease in saliva.

Help from nature

To combat bad breath, even our ancestors actively used preparations of plant and animal origin - propolis, alfalfa, chamomile, echinacea, myrtle, fresh dill infusion, decoction of tansy with wormwood and yarrow (brewed for 15 minutes). A good, but short-term deodorizing effect is given by freshly brewed strong tea. Essential oils (essential) reduce bad breath for 90-120 minutes (mint, tea tree, clove, sage, grapefruit seed extract). The use of chewing gums in this case gives an even shorter result, masking the smell itself, but not eliminating the cause of its appearance.


Removal of stones and plaque

On their own, a person can clean soft plaque, and more dense formations can be removed only by a doctor using special tools. This is done mechanically or using ultrasound. At the time of cleaning above and subgingival stones, pathological pockets formed along the roots of the teeth during periodontitis are simultaneously washed.

Treatment of common diseases

If the smell from the mouth is a symptom of any chronic disease of the internal organs or systems, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive treatment. The dentist eliminates all causative factors in the oral cavity (plaque, stones, chronic inflammation of the gums), selects the means and hygiene items, and the treatment of the underlying disease is carried out by the therapist together with other specialists.

The problem of bad breath is a common phenomenon familiar to many. But more often we pay attention to another person and do not suspect the presence of bad breath in ourselves. Do the smell tests yourself, it's not hard at all. It is possible that an attentive attitude to your health will return to you a hundredfold. Halitosis, which suddenly appeared in a person, may be the first symptom of a serious illness, and a person who notices it in time significantly increases the chances of early detection of the problem. Hence, its timely decision. Love yourself and take care of your health!