Bad Breath

Millions of people suffer embarrassment due to bad breath.  The technical name for bad breath is "halitosis."  Take a walk down the personal care aisle of any drug or grocery Store and you will find product after product all dealing with this condition.

Interesting to note is the fact that dental hygiene was practiced as far back as ancient Greece and Rome.  The Greeks used to chew on anise seeds.  Anise tastes like licorice.  The Romans discovered that chewing on parsley would disguise the smell of alcohol on their breath.  They were probably unaware that parsley is high in chlorophyll which turns carbon dioxide into oxygen making it a natural as one of the first breath fresheners.

Everyone has an occasional problem with bad breath which is why Americans spend more than $200 million a year on products to freshen the breath.  Pills, mouthwash, breath mints, toothpaste and more comprise this industry. 

  Bad breath that is persistent, consistent and resistant to normal remedies can be symptomatic of a more serious condition. 

WHAT IS BAD BREATH?

Bad breath is the side effect of the action taken by certain bacteria that live in the mouth, the tongue and the tonsils.  The fact is that we all have these bacteria in our mouth.  These bacteria pretty much remain dormant until some action in their environment causes them to change.

Because they are anaerobic and sulfur producing, when they react to these changes they produce chemicals compounds.  Some of these compounds smell and taste terrible like hydrogen sulfide which smells like rotten eggs and other compounds.  We will discuss some of these odors and possible relative odors further on.

WHAT CAUSES BAD BREATH?

Some of the causes (but not all) that can replace normal breath are:

Abscessed tooth.

Infection of the tissue surrounding a tooth that usually fills with pus which has a very smelly odor.

Alcoholism.

Immoderate use of alcohol causes decreased production of saliva causing dryness of the mouth.  Dry mouth is a leading cause of bad breath.

Atrophic rhinitis.

This is an inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane usually a result of nasal drip due to colds or sinusitis.

Cancers.

Cancers such as esophageal, pharyngeal, oral tumors, leukemia, pulmonary and stomach cancer all present severe bad breath due to the decay that is taking place.  Additionally, the medical treatments for these cancers can exacerbate the bad breath.

Oral Candida.

This is a fungal infection of the mouth cavity.  Also known as thrush, it is fairly common among infants, diabetics, chemotherapy patients and people with HIV or AIDS. 

Cavities.

These holes in the outer two layers of a tooth contain decay which in turn produces bad breath.

Dentures.

Dentures are prosthetic replacements for natural teeth and are just as susceptible to the build up of plaque which causes bad breath.  Denture wearers also have a tendency toward dry mouth which also increases the risk of bad breath.

Diabetes.

People who have diabetes may also have bad breath.  This occurs because of poor control of blood sugar, the problem with most diabetics.  Gum disease is a problem for diabetics.  And, diabetes is a problem for people with gum disease.

It can be difficult to determine which comes first, the diabetes or the gum disease, but the underlying problem is clear.  High blood sugar contributes to gum disease.  Diabetics have trouble controlling the high blood sugar.  Gum disease is a leading cause of bad breath, hence the correlation.

The American Dental Association reports that people with type 1 diabetes 5 are at greater risk for gingivitis.