BAD BREATH
Bad breath can be a sign of serious dental illness, don't ignore it.
Image : made using Canva
Most people experience bad breath occasionally. But for some people, bad breath is an embarrassing day-to-day reality. In severe cases, bad breath (or halitosis) can negatively impact personal relationships and cause social isolation.
What causes bad breath?
Some foods such as garlic and onion can result in temporary bad breath. But if the problem persists, it can indicate poor oral hygiene. Without regular brushing and flossing, food can become trapped in gum pockets and between teeth, providing the perfect breeding ground for “bad” bacteria. These bacteria can break down the amino acids in trapped food particles resulting in smelly sulfur compounds.
Bad breath can indicate serious gum disease.
There are two types of gum disease -
gingivitis and periodontitis
Gingivitis is the mildest and most common type of gum disease, and the word literally means inflamed gums. This can occur if you don’t practise good oral hygiene. Bacteria break down food particles to form a substance known as plaque that will coat your teeth if you don’t brush properly. If plaque isn’t brushed away, your immune system reacts to it, causing your gums to become red and swollen.
Bleeding gums when you brush your teeth is a sign of gingivitis. Healthy gums do not bleed!
If plaque is not cleaned away, it can harden and turn into tartar, which is much more difficult to remove. It also makes brushing and flossing less effective and allows gingivitis to progress to the more serious condition – periodontitis.
Periodontitis is when the inflammation of gums becomes destructive. If left unchecked, this can lead to receding gums, loose teeth, and tooth abscesses.
One of the first symptoms of periodontal disease is bad breath and an unpleasant taste in your mouth.
Don’t ignore bad breath!
If bad breath persists, it may indicate that you have some form of gum disease. Prevention is better than cure. So other than good oral hygiene, what can you do to prevent gum disease?
Maintain a healthy microbiome in your mouth.
An imbalance of bacteria can affect your body’s ability to kill “bad” bacteria which can cause inflammation of your gums and bad breath. The inflammatory process gives off chemicals that allow “bad” bacteria to thrive… and periodontitis develops. It is important to eat a healthy, low sugar diet to maintain a good bacterial balance and prevent gum disease.
Reference list
Alessandro Villa, DDS, PhD, MPH (2019). Bad breath: What causes it and what to do about it - Harvard Health Blog. [online] Harvard Health Blog. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/bad-breath-what-causes-it-and-what-to-do-about-it-2019012115803 [Accessed 7 Apr. 2023].
Brown, S. (2022). How Probiotics Help Treat Gum Disease. [online] WebMD. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/probiotics-gum-disease#:~:text=a%20Dentist%20Visit- [Accessed 7 Apr. 2023].
www.eoperio.com.au. (n.d.). Stages of Gum Disease | EO Perio - Brisbane Periodontists. [online] Available at: https://www.eoperio.com.au/gum-disease/stages#:~:text=Periodontitis%20Stage%201%3A%20Initial [Accessed 7 Apr. 2023].
www.hopkinsmedicine.org. (n.d.). Halitosis (Bad Breath). [online] Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/halitosis-bad-breath [Accessed 7 Apr. 2023].
Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.
This site is not a part of Google, Inc. or Google.com, nor is it sponsored or endorsed by Google. YouTube is a trademark of Google, Inc.
Disclaimer: This site is provided for educational purposes only.
Please consult a health professional before implementing any strategy discussed on this website.