Contents:
- Medical Video: What causes bad breath (and how to get rid of it)
- What is halitosis?
- Who can get halitosis?
- What causes bad breath?
- 1. Dry mouth
- 2. Food, drinks and medicines
- 3. Smoking
- 4. Certain diseases
- What can be done to keep the mouth fresh and not smell?
Medical Video: What causes bad breath (and how to get rid of it)
Bad breath, in medical terms is called halitosis, can be very annoying and embarrassing. Just imagine, every day you have to interact and talk with many people but it turns out that your bad breath makes people reluctant to get close to you. This condition must make people around you and yourself become uncomfortable. For this reason, you need to understand the variety of bad breath or halitosis.
What is halitosis?
Halitosis or bad breath is caused by bacteria that grow and multiply in the mouth. As a result, when opening your mouth or exhaling through your mouth, an unpleasant aroma comes out.
Who can get halitosis?
Bad breath or halitosis is a common problem. Anyone can have bad breath. Even surveys show that 25% of the world's population has bad breath problems. This means that for every four people, one of them has bad breath.
However, sometimes those who have bad breath don't even realize their problems. People also tend to be reluctant to tell you if you have a bad breath problem. So, it is very important to check your own breath aroma regularly to avoid halitosis. The trick is to lick the inside of your wrist. Wait a moment until it's a bit dry, then smell the aroma of your saliva. If you feel a bad smell, that means your bad breath has a problem. Another way is to directly ask the dentist or the people closest to you.
What causes bad breath?
There are many things that can trigger or aggravate bad breath. To find out what causes it, consider the following.
1. Dry mouth
Bad breath caused by dry mouth occurs due to a lack of salivary production in the mouth. Saliva which is also known as saliva is responsible for cleaning the mouth naturally. If your mouth is dry, bacteria and germs will nest comfortably in your mouth. These bacteria and germs cause bad smells. The dry mouth itself is triggered by dehydration, the side effects of the medication being taken, or if you have just undergone radiotherapy around the neck and head. Dry mouth is also the reason behind bad breath when you wake up in the morning.
2. Food, drinks and medicines
The chemicals contained in food, drinks, or drugs that you consume can be absorbed by your blood and exhaled through the lungs. That is why your breath will smell bad after you eat food or drink that has a strong aroma like onions, petai, and durian. Remnants of food left on the teeth can also spread unpleasant odors in the mouth.
3. Smoking
The strong aroma of tobacco will not be easily cleaned in your mouth. Smoking will also increase the risk of disease for your gums, which means that you may experience unpleasant bad breath.
4. Certain diseases
Some types of diseases can cause bad breath. One of them is gum disease and plaque. Plaques that appear on the teeth are formed when saliva mixes with food scraps and bacteria. Plaque will stick to the tooth surface and cause bad breath. Gum disease occurs when the tissues surrounding the teeth become inflamed. The characteristics are the color of the gums that flush or if your gums often bleed.
Other diseases such as sinusitis or lumps in the nose can also trigger bad breath. Especially in children, this unpleasant odor arises when they breathe through their nose or mouth.
Certain types of cancer can cause bad breath, for example oral cancer. Likewise with various liver and metabolic diseases, bronchitis, and pneumonia. These diseases produce chemicals that trigger halitosis. However, cases like this are rarely encountered.
What can be done to keep the mouth fresh and not smell?
To maintain freshness and oral health, you must diligently take care of oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth clean at least twice a day and flossing you need to do every day. Brush your teeth for three minutes and reach every area in your mouth. You also have to be diligent in changing toothbrushes, which is every three to four months. If necessary, you can also use antiseptic dessert products. It is best to consult with your dentist what products are suitable for you to avoid bad breath.
Avoid substances that produce unpleasant smells such as cigarettes. If you eat foods like onions and durian, make sure you drink plenty of water so that the production of saliva in your mouth is not disturbed. That way, saliva will cleanse your mouth yourself from various unpleasant odors and bacteria or germs that attach.
READ ALSO:
- 10 Diseases That Can Sometimes Be Detected Through Mouth Smell
- Bacteria in the Mouth that Endanger Health
- List of Foods and Mouth Odor Drinks
