Causes of Bad Breath
Though there may never be an easy way to tell someone they've got bad breath, there are better ways to diagnose and treat the condition today than ever before. Today, dentists are much more capable when it comes to treating bad breath since about 75% of bad breath stems from the mouth. It is caused when decay and debris produce sulfur compounds that cause foul odor and gum disease.
This is a summary of different odor-related problems and their possible causes:
Problem |
Possible cause or source of malodor |
|
Odor after fasting, dieting, sleeping, taking medications, prolonged speaking, exercise |
dryness in the mouth, insufficient saliva flow |
|
Gums bleed and/or smell |
gum problems, poor cleaning between teeth |
|
Odor upon talking |
postnasal drip on back of tongue |
|
Odor at onset of menstrual cycle |
swelling of gums |
|
Small whitish stones with foul odor appear on tongue |
tonsilloliths from crypts in tonsils |
|
Odor appears suddenly from mouth of young children |
onset of throat infection |
|
Odor appears suddenly from nose of young children |
foreign body placed in nose |
|
Odor appears suddenly from entire body of young children |
foreign body placed in nose |
|
Taste or smell of rotten fish |
trimethylaminuria (rare) |
|
Odor in denture wearers |
dentures kept in mouth at night or not cleaned properly |
|
Odor from nose |
sinusitis, polyps, dryness, foreign body, hindered air or mucus flow |
|
Bad taste all day long |
poor oral hygiene, gum disease, excessive bacterial activity on tongue |
Halitosis also known as oral malodor or bad breath can be caused by many localized and systemic disorders. Halitosis caused by normal physiological processes and behaviors is usually transitory.
Non-pathologic halitosis may due to hunger, low levels of salivation during sleep, food debris, prescription drugs, and smoking.
Chronic or pathological halitosis stems from oral or non-oral sources. In addition there appear to be several other metabolic conditions involving enzymatic and transport anomalies (such as Trimethylaminuria) which lead to systemic production of volatile malodors that manifest themselves as halitosis and/or altered chemoreception. Some of the oral causes are:
- Periodontal disease, gingivitis, and plaque coating on the dorsum of the tongue.
- Halitosis may be aggravated by a reduction in salivary flow.
- Radiation therapy, Sjorrgen's Syndrome, some lung conditions, including cancer, peritonsillar abscess, cancer of the pharynx and cryptic tonsils can also contribute to oral malodor.
- Nasal problems such as postnasal drip that falls at the posterior dorsum of the tongue may exacerbate the oral malodor condition. Odor generated in this manner can be easily distinguished from mouth odor by comparing the odor exiting the mouth or nose.