Bad Breath

Bad breath, refers to unpleasant odours exhaled in breathing. In most of the cases, the millions of bacteria that live in the mouth are the primary causes of bad breath. In 90% of cases, bad breath originates from the mouth itself. Halitosis has a significant impact on personally.  It may be transient or persistent.

Causes are poor oral hygine, Postnasl discharge due to sinusitis or some bacteria in the mouth may produce gaseous compounds that cause bad breath.

Food. Eating foods having volatile oils (e.g. onions, garlic) cause bad breath. After these foods are digested and the pungent oils are absorbed into the bloodstream, they are carried to the lungs and are given off in the breath until the food is eliminated from the body.
Dry mouth. mouth and throat is washed by saliva. Dryness causes dead cells to accumulate in mouth cavity walls.. These cells decompose and cause odour. Dry mouth can be due to

• Some medical conditions
• Anti-hypertensives, anti-histamine drugs
• smoking, alcoho
• Nasal blockage and mouth breathing
• Fasting

A person may not be aware of his own bad breath. because odour-detecting cells in the nose eventually become accustomed to the constant flow of bad smells from the mouth. Other people may notice and react by recoiling as you speak.

Prevention: Bad breath caused by dental problems can be prevented by

• daily toothbrushing, cleaning the tongue
• daily cleaning of your denture and soaking it in a denture cleaner overnigh
• Treatment of decaying teeth
• Antiseptic mouthrinses may also be used.

avoiding the specific food types. drinking plenty of water daily and chewing sugar free gum to stimulate salivary flow.

Treatment Options: Treatment of bad breath depends on its cause.
Bad breath caused by medications or underlying medical conditions can only be treated by receiving the appropriate medical intervention. When it is due to sinusitis it has to be treated by ENT specialist  by medicines or surgically.