Is Bad Breath A Sign of Illness?
When you get a whiff of your breath, and it has an odor to it, you start to wonder the reasons why. Was it what you just ate? Did you properly brush your teeth this morning? Did you drink water? Yet, the thought of the bad breath being caused by a more serious health issue doesn’t always come to mind right away.
What causes bad breath?
Bad breath can occur if improper oral hygiene is used, depending on what you eat, and also due to more health-related issues happening within the body.
- Habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, consuming sugary foods, and drinking very carbonated drinks are all possible causes of bad breath because they cause the saliva glands to not produce enough saliva, leading to dry mouth, which causes bad breath.
- Eating foods with deep flavor and odor is also a cause of bad breath because they can linger in the mouth and during digestion.
- Improper routine cleaning and lack of dental cleaning visits can result in gum disease, when bacteria build up not only on the surface of the teeth, but also below the gum line. This causes the flesh of the gums to recede from the tooth and allows bacteria to enter towards the root of the tooth.
- Internal health conditions like GERD can cause stomach acid to enter and irritate the inner lining of the esophagus, leaving behind the smell of stomach acid. Nasal drips to the back of the throat due to a nasal infection can cause bad breath, as well as liver failure and diabetes, where proteins and acids are not being broken down properly in the body.
What can a dentist do for bad breath?
When visiting the dentist, they often times smell your breath to determine the source of odor and what it signifies. A dentist may do a simple cleaning or a deep cleaning that gets rid of any plaque and bacterial buildup on the teeth and in the gums. After the cleaning, they will also suggest ways and coach you through different methods to practice on your own to help fight off bad breath.
In more serious cases like illness or infections, a dentist may prescribe medication to help aid in recovery for what is causing the source of the bad breath. Depending on the severity of the case, they may recommend you to a different medical professional who can help treat that illness that a dentist cannot.
A dentist may also recommend changing some lifestyle choices that can help towards fresher breath. Habits like proper oral hygiene when it comes to brushing, flossing, and tongue scraping at least twice a day, followed by a mouth rinse, can all maintain fresh breath. Following a diet that is healthier in options and has less sugar would also be recommended in changing lifestyle choices. Quitting smoking and drinking can significantly change the odor of your breath to something fresher over time.
In conclusion, it may be a common reason that there is a foul odor coming from your breath, and it can be as easy as managing through proper oral hygiene. In other cases, there could be more interval health issues that need to be addressed by a professional right away.
Related Article: What does Halitosis Smell Like?