Did you ever have the feeling of a repellent smell coming out of your mouth while you were talking to someone? Chances are, you have halitosis or "bad breath.
" Halitosis usually occurs when one has a neglective oral hygiene or in some cases, a medical condition that triggers bad breath.
The effects of halitosis can detriment both your health and your social life.
It has been reported that approximately 14% to 25% of the American population suffers from chronic bad breath and half of those figures don't even know they have it.
Another widely debunked myth is that alcohol-based mouthwash, toothpastes, and breath mints contribute to eliminating serious cases of bad breath.
Breath mints and the sorts only offer a temporary relief from halitosis and may be regarded as just "temporary remedies" and not a "permanent cure" from bad breath.
Though you may mistake over-the-counter mouthwashes to be the complete solution for persistent bad breath, think again - research shows that while mouthwash does actually kill the bacteria...
it doesn't repel it for the entire duration of a day.
But in recent years, new ingredients added to mouthwashes actually do the job in the present era.
Stabilized chlorine dioxide is now found on almost any mouthwash brand.
New formulas for mouthwashes also compliment in helping fighting against tooth decay by preventing plaque buildup.
Then again, mouth washes are not enough to rid yourself of bad breath.
A strict oral hygiene must be implemented for people suffering from halitosis.
These hygienic practices include: 1.
Brushing your teeth before and after meals and before you sleep at night.
2.
Do not forget to floss in-between teeth.
3.
Softly brush/scrape your tongue using the bristles (or in some cases, the back of your toothbrush comes with a tongue-scraper).
4.
Remove, clean and rinse dental appliances like dentures, removable braces, partials or retainers after you eat and soak them in a warm glass of water or in a disinfecting solution.
5.
Visit your dentist regularly.
6.
Try asking your friends, after a few days/weeks of your oral health regimen, if the bad breath has been removed.
If it hasn't, it's high time time to immediately consult a hygienist/dentist.
Another common issue is that people complain of having bad breath when waking up or "morning breath.
" Morning breath is normal and is caused by the lack of saliva production, which is responsible in killing bacteria.
Morning breath is very common and shouldn't be regarded with too much importance, since after gargling with water or mouthwash, the bitter taste will go off-but gargling with mouthwash is more recommended.
Going back, bad breath is caused by a variety of factors, in which all, in some way are connected with the salivary glands of the tongue and with the digestive tract (esophagus/stomach/colon): • Acidosis - the increase in the acidity of the blood, often caused by the lack of oxygen.
• Appendicitis - the inflammation and subsequent rupture of the appendix.
• Bronchiectasis - the inflammation/dilation of the bronchial tubes, usually caused by congenital conditions.
• Sinusitis - the inflammation of one or both of the paranasal sinuses, primarily caused by bacterial infections.
• Diabetes - evidenced by concurrent spikes in blood sugar.
• Esophageal problems - complications of the esophagus • Gastroesophageal Reflux - abnormal refluxes of gastric juices in the esophagus, leading to acute pain and indigestion • Gingivitis - inflammation of the gums caused by poor oral hygiene • Gum disease - a variety of diseases (like gingivitis and periodontitis) that weaken the gum tissue and consequently leads to dental/medical maladies.
• Kidney failure - or renal failure, is the inability of the body to excrete waste material and to deteriorate electrolyte balance.
• Periodontitis - an advanced infection of the gums and teeth that is often caused by poor oral hygiene.
Periodontitis is usually an accelerated form of gingivitis.
• Pharyngitis - or sore throat, is the inflammation of the pharynx • Postnasal drip - chronic/irregular secretion of mucus from the rear of the nasal cavity all the way into the nasopharynx • Stomatitis - the inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth.
Another form of sore throat.
• Tooth abscess - or root abscess, is the pus accumulation that surrounds the tooth, usually caused by poor oral hygiene.
• Vincent's disease - another form of gum disease that infects the gum tissue, without any effect on the periodontium Another important thing to note is that some medications often trigger bad breath, especially those that compromise saliva secretion.
Before consulting your dentist, try to list down all the medications that you've taken in over the past month to narrow down the cause of your condition.
" Halitosis usually occurs when one has a neglective oral hygiene or in some cases, a medical condition that triggers bad breath.
The effects of halitosis can detriment both your health and your social life.
It has been reported that approximately 14% to 25% of the American population suffers from chronic bad breath and half of those figures don't even know they have it.
Another widely debunked myth is that alcohol-based mouthwash, toothpastes, and breath mints contribute to eliminating serious cases of bad breath.
Breath mints and the sorts only offer a temporary relief from halitosis and may be regarded as just "temporary remedies" and not a "permanent cure" from bad breath.
Though you may mistake over-the-counter mouthwashes to be the complete solution for persistent bad breath, think again - research shows that while mouthwash does actually kill the bacteria...
it doesn't repel it for the entire duration of a day.
But in recent years, new ingredients added to mouthwashes actually do the job in the present era.
Stabilized chlorine dioxide is now found on almost any mouthwash brand.
New formulas for mouthwashes also compliment in helping fighting against tooth decay by preventing plaque buildup.
Then again, mouth washes are not enough to rid yourself of bad breath.
A strict oral hygiene must be implemented for people suffering from halitosis.
These hygienic practices include: 1.
Brushing your teeth before and after meals and before you sleep at night.
2.
Do not forget to floss in-between teeth.
3.
Softly brush/scrape your tongue using the bristles (or in some cases, the back of your toothbrush comes with a tongue-scraper).
4.
Remove, clean and rinse dental appliances like dentures, removable braces, partials or retainers after you eat and soak them in a warm glass of water or in a disinfecting solution.
5.
Visit your dentist regularly.
6.
Try asking your friends, after a few days/weeks of your oral health regimen, if the bad breath has been removed.
If it hasn't, it's high time time to immediately consult a hygienist/dentist.
Another common issue is that people complain of having bad breath when waking up or "morning breath.
" Morning breath is normal and is caused by the lack of saliva production, which is responsible in killing bacteria.
Morning breath is very common and shouldn't be regarded with too much importance, since after gargling with water or mouthwash, the bitter taste will go off-but gargling with mouthwash is more recommended.
Going back, bad breath is caused by a variety of factors, in which all, in some way are connected with the salivary glands of the tongue and with the digestive tract (esophagus/stomach/colon): • Acidosis - the increase in the acidity of the blood, often caused by the lack of oxygen.
• Appendicitis - the inflammation and subsequent rupture of the appendix.
• Bronchiectasis - the inflammation/dilation of the bronchial tubes, usually caused by congenital conditions.
• Sinusitis - the inflammation of one or both of the paranasal sinuses, primarily caused by bacterial infections.
• Diabetes - evidenced by concurrent spikes in blood sugar.
• Esophageal problems - complications of the esophagus • Gastroesophageal Reflux - abnormal refluxes of gastric juices in the esophagus, leading to acute pain and indigestion • Gingivitis - inflammation of the gums caused by poor oral hygiene • Gum disease - a variety of diseases (like gingivitis and periodontitis) that weaken the gum tissue and consequently leads to dental/medical maladies.
• Kidney failure - or renal failure, is the inability of the body to excrete waste material and to deteriorate electrolyte balance.
• Periodontitis - an advanced infection of the gums and teeth that is often caused by poor oral hygiene.
Periodontitis is usually an accelerated form of gingivitis.
• Pharyngitis - or sore throat, is the inflammation of the pharynx • Postnasal drip - chronic/irregular secretion of mucus from the rear of the nasal cavity all the way into the nasopharynx • Stomatitis - the inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth.
Another form of sore throat.
• Tooth abscess - or root abscess, is the pus accumulation that surrounds the tooth, usually caused by poor oral hygiene.
• Vincent's disease - another form of gum disease that infects the gum tissue, without any effect on the periodontium Another important thing to note is that some medications often trigger bad breath, especially those that compromise saliva secretion.
Before consulting your dentist, try to list down all the medications that you've taken in over the past month to narrow down the cause of your condition.
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