Bad Breath

Causes of bad breath

• Having taken strong flavoured food

• Oral hygiene problem

• Bad oral hygiene accompanied by putrefied food debris
• Failed to thoroughly clean the denture, leaving food debris and plaque on the denture which cause bad breath.

• Oral Diseases or Oral Problems

Oral Diseases such as
• Dental Caries —if dental caries has extended into the pulp, the necrotic pulp will emit foul odour.
• Periodontal Disease —the accumulation of dental plaque and calculus irritates the gum, which leads to periodontal disease and causes bad breath.

Oral Problem:

• Insufficient saliva secretion (dry mouth)—if saliva secretion is insufficient, the oral cleaning effect of saliva will be reduced.

General health problems such as:

• Respiratory system problems
  • Allergic Rhinitis (nose allergy)
  • Sinusitis (infection of sinus)

• Alimentary tract problem (digestive system)
  • Digestive problem

• Diabetes


• Nasopharyngeal Cancer (cancer of the nose and throat)

Smoking

Prevention and treatment

• Avoid eating strong flavoured food to prevent bad breath. If you have just had strong flavoured food, you can try:

  • Brush your teeth with toothpaste
  • Use chewing gum
  • Rinse with mouthwash
  • Use breath freshener

• Visit a dentist for regular dental check-up

To ensure whether the bad breath is caused by oral diseases such as periodontal disease or dental caries, or whether it is caused by insufficient saliva production; so that appropriate treatment can be given.

• Pay attention to your regular oral hygiene practices to prevent oral problems

  • Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste every morning and before bed at night and floss your teeth daily.
  • Reduce the frequency of taking food or drinks
  • Keep the denture clean by thoroughly cleaning them every night and soaking it in a glass of water overnight.

• Quit smoking

If you don't have any oral problem, nor have you eaten anything with a strong flavour, your bad breath may be caused by other medical problems. In that case, you should see a physician to find out the cause and receive appropriate treatment.