What Causes Bad Breath
Bad breath can be caused by problems in the mouth, digestive system, sinus cavity, nasal cavity, and respiratory system. Oral microflora, made from hundreds of types of bacteria that are naturally found in your mouth, digest the same foods that you eat when they are left on your teeth. The waste these bacteria create, called volatile sulfur compounds, lead to bad breath. In addition, these volatile sulfur compounds can cause inflammation and damage to the gum tissues that support your teeth. This can have a cyclic effect because the “pockets” that develop from gum disease can trap bacteria and lead to waste products that affect breath.
In addition, smoking, aging, and medications that dry out the mouth, can lead to an increase in these compounds. Devices such as removable dentures, spaces between teeth, cavities, broken down teeth, crooked teeth, poorly fitting crowns, and braces can also trap food, leading to bad breath.
Things outside of the mouth such as digestive problems, gastric reflux disease, sinus infections, and some genetic disorders can also cause bad breath problems. For example, bacterial by-products from the lungs and sinus cavity are directly linked to the mouth and can result in bad breath. Inflammatory bowel disorders such as colitis & Chron’s disease and other diseases that cause inflammation of the digestive system have been known to have a negative effect on breath.
Bad Breath Diagnosis
There are multiple methods to diagnose bad breath. Subjective tests that are not tremendously reliable include exhaling and smelling your breath, smelling the floss or interproximal devices after use, licking your wrist and smelling it, and asking your friends and family if they detect a bad odor. Other more objective tests include Gas Chromatography which uses a machine to detect volatile sulfur compounds in your breath even at low concentrations and DNA PCR tests which are able to detect the specific oral bacteria in your mouth known to cause bad breath. Proper diagnosis is key to finding successful treatments.
Bad Breath Solutions
There are multiple methods to diagnose bad breath. Subjective tests that are not tremendously reliable include exhaling and smelling your breath, smelling the floss or interproximal devices after use, licking your wrist and smelling it, and asking your friends and family if they detect a bad odor. Other more objective tests include Gas Chromatography which uses a machine to detect volatile sulfur compounds in your breath even at low concentrations and DNA PCR tests which are able to detect the specific oral bacteria in your mouth known to cause bad breath. Proper diagnosis is key to finding successful treatments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do to prevent bad breath?
- Get regular check ups with your dentist to look for cavities and gum disease
- Eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, and avoid tobacco and alcohol.
- Make sure your gut health and sinus problems are under control
- Check with your doctor regarding food sensitivities that may cause bad breath
Do certain foods cause bad breath?
Certain foods can cause bad breath for that specific person. Typical foods that are known to have odors can include garlic, onions, and curry but that is culturally determined. Foods that don’t agree with you and cause gut sensitivity are more likely to be the candidates to cause problems. For example if a person is lactose intolerant and they have dairy, they will not only develop intestinal issues but can also develop bad breath
Do dental problems cause bad breath?
Yes, dental issues that can cause bad breath include:
- Cavities, gum disease, thrush (yeast infections), dental abscesses, food being caught between the teeth, tonsil stones
- Poorly fitting crowns or veneers
- Dentures that are not cleaned well
- Braces & clear aligners that are not cleaned well
- Orthodontic appliances
Can health issues contribute to bad breath?
About 20% of bad breath is caused by medical issues or a person’s medications:
Stomach: Leaky gut, inflammation of the gut, poor digestion, acid reflux, and irritable bowel diseases can all lead to bacteria in the stomach causing odors in the mouth
Sinus: Sinus infections, post nasal drip, sinus congestion, chronic sinusitis and other problems with the sinus draining can lead to an excess of bacteria that cause odors and it then can cause the mouth to have bad breath
Dry mouth syndrome (xerostomia). Dry mouth syndrome occurs when there isn’t enough saliva present in your mouth to protect your oral tissues from accumulating bacteria that can cause odor. Saliva also protects your teeth and gums by being antibacterial
Other underlying medical problems that can contribute to bad breath include:
- Many medications including ant-anxiety, anti-depression, heart medication, allergy medications, antihistamines, among other medications
- Diabetes
- Sjögren’s syndrome
- Autoimmune diseases
- Certain types of cancer
- Immunocompromised disorders
- Head and neck radiation
How effective is mouthwash against bad breath?
Not tremendously.
Many mouth rinses have alcohol in them so they temporarily mask the bad breath then can make it return to even a higher level because they dry out your mouth.
Compounded mouth rinses that contain antibiotics can kill bad bacteria and then if they are followed by a mouth rinse that is probiotic and promotes healthy bacteria, mouth rinses can be effective.
The best mouth rinses are those that keep the teeth and oral tissue moisturized without drying them out. These types of rinses do not contain alcohol.
To learn more contact us today for an appointment.