What causes halitosis (bad breath)?
 
Bad breath (halitosis) is caused by the odor causing bacteria in the oral cavity. Accumulation of sulfur causing bacteria in the posterior 1/3 of the tongue leads to this unpleasant condition. Halitosis is mostly present in the morning. This is because when we sleep, our salivary glands do not produce as much saliva, hence, this creates the perfect condition for the bacteria in the oral cavity to cause bad breath amongst other issues such as Xerostomia (dry mouth). At Azmodent Smile Design Dental Group, we recommend tongue scrapers to act as toothbrush for the tongue. When using a toothbrush to clean your tongue, always brush outward, as opposed to back and forth. This will eliminate triggering of the gag reflex.
Intraoral sources of halitosis include intake of certain aromatic foods such as onions, garlic, and ginger, which enter the blood stream, where they are transferred to the lungs, and are exhaled, thus causing bad breath. Other causes of bad breath include presence of food particles on and between the teeth, smoking as well as chewing tobacco, Acute Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis (ANUG), caries (tooth decay), complete dentures and removable partial dentures, and periodontitis with pocket formation.
Extraoral sources of mouth odors include infections or lesions of the respiratory tract, alcoholic breath, the acetone odor of diabetes, and the uremic breath that accompanies kidney dysfunction, chronic sinus infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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