Bad Breath and Your Health: Are They Connected?

Bad breath — or halitosis — affects an estimated 25 percent of all adults. There is no question that bad breath can have a significant impact on your social and professional life, and be an embarrassing problem. Does it also, however, cause or indicate deeper underlying health problems?

In many cases, bad breath is due to the presence of high amounts of cavity-causing and other harmful oral bacteria. The medical term for bad breath is halitosis. There are many medical conditions and circumstances that can lead to bad breath. If you don’t clean your teeth appropriately or frequently enough, it can cause halitosis very quickly. Another cause is the presence of a periodontal (gum) disease that causes an overgrowth of oral bacteria and leads to bleeding and receding gums. Finally, eating certain foods can lead to halitosis. Pretty much anything that promotes the growth of oral bacteria will cause your breath to smell bad, but beyond these "usual suspects", bad breath can have other surprising causes as well.

 

Savage Sinus Conditions

When you have an upper respiratory infection or sinus condition, postnasal drip causes the back portion of the tongue to accumulate bacteria. This discharge has not only a foul smell, but an awful taste, as well. When the oral bacteria present around your tongue feed on the discharge, smelly waste products accumulate in the mouth and bad breath is worsened. What’s more, people with sinus problems and infections that involve the head, mouth, and nose often have stuffy noses and breathe through their mouths. The drying effect that occurs promotes worse breath.

 

Disdainful Denture Breath

Dentures, whether full or partial, can have a significant influence on the quality of a person’s breath and the smell of the breath. Bacteria tends to accumulate underneath the dentures and this is a common source of bad breath. People who wear dentures should take extra hygienic measures to clean their mouth as well as their dentures daily.

 

How Can I Cure Bad Breath?

According to the latest research studies, 85 percent of all cases of bad breath can directly be attributed to factors originating in the mouth. Everyone harbors bacteria in their mouths. Those bacteria are there for a reason. These bacteria are “anaerobic”, meaning they like environments where there is little oxygen. These bacteria reside in the areas of the mouth where they can hide from oxygen. These include the groves of the tongue, the spaces between the teeth, and the pockets between the gums and the teeth. So, it makes sense to clean up this bacteria and the end result will be better breath.

For good oral hygiene, brush your teeth and clean your tongue a couple of times a day for at least two minutes each time. Follow up with a mouthwash, ideally alcohol free, after you are done and don’t forget to floss, use interdental brushes, or use a waterpik. Also, keep your mouth well hydrated by drinking plenty water. Avoid smoking, garlic, and onions, too, and if you tend to breathe through your mouth, try to focus on nasal breathing to prevent your oral cavity from drying out. Finally, be sure you are evaluated by your dentist for any gum disease or tooth decay that can pose a problem, by having a dental checkup once every six months.