Do you feel self-conscious when communicating because of bad breath? Please refer to the information about the causes of bad breath and how to fix it in the article below. Understanding the cause of bad breath will also help you have a quick and effective remedy so that you are no longer too worried when communicating with people around you.
What is bad breath? Bad breath is a warning sign of bad oral health in particular and overall health in general. Let’s find out the causes of bad breath in this article!
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Causes of bad breath
Eating smelly foods
A common cause of bad breath that everyone has experienced is consuming smelling foods or drinks. Bad-smelling food particles will enter the bloodstream and be carried to the lungs after eating certain foods, vegetables, or spices with strong odors such as onions, garlic, etc. affecting the smell of your breath every time you exhale. Therefore, these foods are the first cause of bad breath to mention.
Poor oral hygiene
This cause of bad breath is quite common in children. When not brushing, cleaning between teeth or cleaning the tongue will cause food particles to remain in the mouth. Bacteria in the mouth will break down food leftovers and can cause bad odors. In addition, the growth of bacteria also increases the risk of dental diseases.
Periodontal disease is the cause of bad breath
What is bad breath? Or rather, bad breath is a symptom of what disease? Periodontal disease can be the “culprit” of this condition. If you do not clean your teeth thoroughly, the plaque will not be completely removed. Over time, it will harden, forming tartar, and cannot be removed with regular brushing.
Tartar can irritate the gums, causing small holes to form in the area between the teeth and gums. Food, bacteria, and dental plaque can accumulate there and cause bad breath. For this reason, the best way to treat bad breath is to see a doctor for appropriate treatment.
Smoking makes your mouth smell bad
Smoking is one of the most common causes of bad breath in adults, especially in men. All tobacco products can lead to more serious oral health problems. Besides giving your mouth a bad odor, smoking can also damage gum tissue and cause gum disease.
Dry mouth area
One of the causes of bad breath that you may not expect is dry mouth. Saliva helps keep the mouth clean by removing food particles that cause bad breath. If you have unexplained bad breath, it may be due to impaired saliva production, leading to a condition known as xerostomia (dry mouth). This usually happens when you sleep breathing through your mouth. It is also the reason why most people find their breath bad when they wake up.
If dry mouth persists, you should see a doctor to be examined for advice on appropriate treatment.
The hobby of drinking coffee
Why do you have bad breath? If you are someone who has a habit of drinking one to one cup of coffee in the morning to start the day, you may sometimes notice bad breath in your mouth. In fact, this is what causes bad breath in adults.
This happens because coffee has a strong flavor as well as has an effect on saliva production. After drinking coffee, caffeine will reduce the ability to produce saliva. If your mouth does not produce much saliva, it will increase odor-causing bacteria.
High sugar diet
In addition to spicy or smelly foods, a diet high in sugar can also be a cause of bad breath. Foods high in sugar create an environment for harmful bacteria to grow in your mouth. Harmful bacteria when exposed to sugar and consumed will produce acids that erode the mineral part of tooth enamel, which can cause tooth decay and bad breath.
Drink a lot of alcohol
Bad breath is also caused by the consumption of alcoholic beverages. This is a culprit that leads to bad breath, which is quite common in men. The more often you drink alcohol, the more likely you are to experience bad breath. Excessive alcohol consumption reduces saliva production, allowing odor-causing bacteria to grow.
Low-carbohydrate diet
Carbohydrates serve important functions in the body. Not having enough carbs in your diet can lead to bad breath. This is because the body does not have enough carbs to sustain its activities, which can cause changes to the body’s metabolism and lead to bad breath. At the same time, the liver has to break down fat for energy, causing the mouth to have a metallic taste.
In addition, when consuming foods rich in protein, sometimes it can make the body difficult to digest and tend to release sulfur gas that causes bad breath when it cannot be metabolized. To limit the cause of bad breath due to your diet, you should build a menu of more nutritious and balanced foods with a variety of healthy vegetables and fruits.
Bad breath due to digestive problems
One of the causes of bad breath can be poor digestion, constipation, or intestinal disorders. If you regularly have stomach acid reflux (GERD) can also cause bad breath. This is because odors from recently digested foods can easily travel back up the esophagus to the mouth area.
Due to other health problems
Most bad breath is caused by odor-causing bacteria. But there are also a number of other health conditions that can contribute to this problem. So what is bad breath or bad breath is a symptom of what disease? You may be suffering from other underlying conditions such as:
- Tonsillitis
- Diabetes
- Liver and kidney disease
- Sinus problems
- Respiratory tract infection
- Postnasal drip
In rare cases, bad breath can be caused by cancer or other serious conditions such as a metabolic disorder.
How to prevent bad breath
After knowing the cause of bad breath, you need to find an effective way to treat bad breath. To be more confident in daily communication, you can apply some of the following bad breath treatments:
Brush your teeth: Remember to brush your teeth at least twice a day, preferably after each meal, and change your toothbrush after 2 to 3 months of use.
Clean between teeth: Flossing, an interdental brush will reduce the accumulation of food and plaque in the interdental area, because brushing only cleans about 60% of the surface of the teeth.
Clean your dentures: You should clean your dentures, or if you wear braces, you should clean them more thoroughly. You might consider using a water flosser for easy cleaning.
Tongue scraping: Bacteria, food, and dead cells often accumulate on the tongue, especially in smokers or people who suffer from frequent dry mouth, so you should buy a tongue scraper.
Limit dry mouth: You should drink plenty of water and avoid foods that reduce saliva production. If you have frequent dry mouth, your doctor may prescribe medication that stimulates the flow of saliva.
Diet: If you have bad breath, you should eat foods that stimulate saliva production such as strawberries, apples, sugarcane, yogurt, and green tea.
Final thought
Keeping your mouth clean means you can get rid of bad breath, make sure you practice these aforementioned methods to prevent bad breath.
Top News hopes this article can provide you with effective methods to keep your mouth clean and you can weed out all the causes of bad breath!
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