It comes as no surprise that practically everyone occasionally has terrible breath. Although many people experience it when they first wake up, its recurrence on a daily basis raises some potential safety concerns.
Halitosis (Latin for bad breath) is an oral health problem where the main symptom is bad smelling breath. It usually occurs, perhaps, after having a garlic-heavy meal or in the morning after waking.
Bad breath can be categorised into two types: local and systemic, according to Dr. Chirag Desai, Dental Surgeon and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central. Poor dental hygiene, poorly fitting prostheses that cause food to become lodged, and periodontitis, a gum infection, are the main causes of halitosis.
‘It’s important to find out the root cause and treat that rather than just trying to suppress the odour,’ said Dr Desai. Other local causes of bad breath include calculus and stains, decayed teeth, gingivitis, abscess, common cold, maxillary sinusitis, and xerostomia (dry mouth).
Bad breath is a sign of poor health, according to Dr. Nitin Anand Krishnan, a dental oncologist at the Centre for Head & Neck Surgery at Amrita Hospital in Kochi. ‘It suggests that the patient is not a normal dental patient. For instance, a patient who has several decaying teeth or persistent ulcers may not have frequent dental cleanings,’ Dr. Krishnan noted.
Dr. Krishnan said that additional factors including kidney illness, liver disease, diabetes, dry mouth, etc. should be examined if bad breath still exists despite treatment.
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