What to do about bad breath？

Local diseases of the oral cavity are the main cause of halitosis, but it cannot be ignored that bad breath is often the oral manifestation of some serious systemic diseases, and some organic diseases can also cause halitosis.

 Classification of bad breath

• Oral halitosis

According to statistics, 80% to 90% of bad breath comes from the oral cavity. Untreated dental caries, residual roots, residual crowns, poor restorations, abnormal anatomical structures, gingivitis, periodontitis, and oral mucosal diseases in the oral cavity can all cause bad breath. Among them, dental caries and periodontal disease are the most common related diseases. In deep carious cavities and under the overhang of bad restorations, food residues and plaques often remain, and the bacteria are fermented and decomposed to produce odor. Pulp necrosis or suppurative pulpitis can also give off bad smell without treatment; patients with periodontal disease are often accompanied by a large amount of calculus and plaque, and bacteria in the periodontal pocket ferment to produce hydrogen sulfide, indole and ammonia, thus Odor. In addition, periodontal abscess and periodontal pocket overflow pus are mostly infected by Staphylococcus aureus combined with periodontal pathogenic bacteria, and they will also emit a foul smell. The quality and quantity of saliva also play an important role. The reduction of saliva volume and the increase of organic components such as protein reduce the scouring and buffering effects of saliva, causing bacteria to multiply, decomposing organic components in saliva, gingival crevicular fluid and food residues, and producing a large amount of volatile sulfides and indole. and other substances that cause bad breath.

•  Non-oral halitosis

Adjacent oral tissue diseases such as suppurative tonsillitis, chronic maxillary sinusitis, atrophic rhinitis, etc., can produce purulent secretions and give off a foul smell; common clinical medical diseases such as acute and chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer have sour odor; Pyloric obstruction and advanced gastric cancer often cause rotten duck egg halitosis; patients with diabetic ketoacidosis can exhale acetone-like gas, and patients with uremia can exhale the smell of rotten apples. In addition, leukemia, vitamin deficiency, heavy metal poisoning and other diseases can cause bad breath.

Hunger, eating certain medicines or irritating foods such as onions and garlic, smoking, and the reduction of saliva secretion during sleep can cause a large number of bacteria to decompose food residues, etc., which may cause short-term bad breath. The bad breath of healthy people may be caused by the increase and thickening of the plaque on the back of the tongue due to bad oral habits and oral hygiene. Due to the large surface area of the back of the tongue, there are many nipples, fissures and depressions, which are conducive to the retention of bacteria, exfoliated epithelium of the oral mucosa, food residues, etc., and act as a "bacteria storage room", which is conducive to the generation of bad breath. Studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between the degree of bad breath, the amount of volatile sulfides, and the thickness and area of the tongue coating, and the relationship with the thickness of the tongue coating is more closely related, and the volatile sulfides decrease after the tongue coating is removed. This may be because the thicker the tongue coating, the easier it is to form an anaerobic environment, which is more conducive to the growth of anaerobic bacteria, which is also more conducive to the production of volatile sulfides, leading to bad breath.

 3.There is also false halitosis, that is, the patient himself feels that he has a bad breath, but the test result is negative. Those who can be improved through explanation and psychological counseling.

 Causes of bad breath

1. Stomach heat and bad breath: These people may suffer from aphthous ulcers, chronic periodontitis, or usually like spicy and delicious food, which may cause bad breath. Stomach fire should be properly cleared, and hot and dry food can be eliminated.
2.  Constipation and bad breath: This kind of bad breath is caused by the usual bowel habits and living habits. If the harmful substances produced in the body cannot be discharged in time, they will be absorbed into the blood and cause bad breath, abdominal distension, loss of appetite, irritability and other self-poisoning symptoms. There is no specific solution. You should develop the habit of defecation in time, drink plenty of water and eat vegetables. Generally speaking, the symptoms of bad breath will disappear.
3.  Pharyngitis and bad breath: People with chronic and acute pharyngitis are often accompanied by bad breath. Such people often feel dry throat, sore throat or red and swollen throat, which can be resolved by treating sore throat.
4.  Halitosis due to sweetness and staying up late: white-collar workers often stay up late and surf the Internet for a long time, the secretion of saliva in the mouth decreases, and anaerobic bacteria in the mouth tend to accumulate and cause bad breath problems, which can lead to periodontal disease in the long run.
5.  Diet to lose weight and bad breath: Losing weight has become a word that many women often talk about. But, did you know? Dieters inadvertently inhibit the secretion of saliva, making oral bacteria grow, while consuming body fat will also release a kind of acetone with a peculiar smell, and bad breath will follow.
6.  Fasting time should not be too long, long-term fasting can easily lead to bad breath.

 How to check bad breath

The method of self-test breath is very simple. Put the left and right palms together and harvest them into a closed bowl shape, covering the mouth and nose, and then exhale into the gathered palms, and then you can smell the smell in your own mouth. In addition, it can also be judged by the reactions of relatives or friends around you.

 Bad breath solution

• Normal daily life

Usually in the tense work, when the rest day is free, many people have the habit of sleeping in, forming irregular sleep. Maintain a good sleep, according to the usual 8 hours of sleep time, do not take too long or too interrupted, otherwise it is easy to cause bad breath.

•  Insist on brushing your teeth in the morning and evening

Don't use one kind of toothpaste for a long time, and often use one kind of toothpaste is not good for teeth. In addition, it is recommended to stay up late for a long time and prepare a bottle of mouthwash to clean up oral bacteria in time.

•  Quit smoking and drinking.

This is one of the most effective ways to prevent bad breath.

•  Appropriately eat more crude fiber foods and some coarse bread rolls.

These foods can have a self-cleaning effect on the mouth, which is equivalent to the effect of chewing gum.

 There are many reasons for bad breath, and different reasons have different treatment methods. As mentioned above, prevention is better than cure, and the most important thing is to develop good living and eating habits.