What causes bad breath. Medicines and preparations. Food as the cause of bad breath

Bad breath (halitosis) occurs to some degree in everyone. For some, this is an ongoing problem that occurs after waking up, eating a specific food or alcohol, smoking. Sometimes the smell is one of the symptoms of diseases of the internal organs, especially the gastrointestinal tract.

Not fresh breath worsens social life person, interferes with contact with others. That is why many are worried about what to do when it appears? There are many ways to deal with halitosis at home. They are simple, budget, and most importantly, natural and completely safe.

How to remove bad breath, depending on the cause?

To get rid of forever bad breath, it is necessary to understand the reason for its occurrence. A bad specific smell provokes:

Reproduction is the main cause of halitosis in adults. harmful bacteria and microorganisms in the mouth. In the absence of oxygen, they release chemicals that are very bad smell. In addition, bacteria contribute to the development of plaque, tartar and diseases. oral cavity, which are also accompanied by stale breath.

After smoking and alcohol

Bad breath after smoking is due to several reasons:

violated healthy microflora mouth, which contributes to the development of harmful microorganisms;
prolonged smoking causes the accumulation of tar and nicotine on the surface of the teeth in the form of a dense yellow plaque;
the production of saliva decreases, which washes away excess plaque, food debris and bacteria (therefore, after smoking you always want to drink).

Efficient and the right decision problems - the rejection of a bad habit. In the case when a person is not ready to quit smoking, it is necessary to follow important recommendations:

Folk methods that will help you quickly remove bad breath after smoking:

coffee beans (it is enough to chew a couple of grains);
fresh or candied ginger (has a persistent spicy aroma and has antiseptic properties)
citrus fruits: lemon, orange, grapefruit (after a smoke break, eat 1-2 slices of fruit along with the peel);
bay leaf (chew a leaf of dry seasoning);
dry cloves (has a rich smell and taste, kills bacteria);
any nuts and roasted sunflower seeds ( nutmeg fights odor better than others);
leaves of fresh mint or lemon balm.

A specific smell after drinking alcohol or "fume" is caused by decay products ethyl alcohol- aldehydes. Their speedy removal from the body helps to get rid of the hangover amber:

Emergency ways to freshen your breath:

citrus peel ( essential oils have a strong odor)
coffee beans;
Bay leaf;
cloves, cinnamon;
ginger;
baking soda (put a little baking soda on a soft toothbrush and thoroughly clean the surface of the tongue and other soft tissues);
rinsing the mouth with saline.

After meal

Food debris can get stuck between the teeth, which can lead to an overabundance of bacteria. This is the main cause of bad breath. Careful hygiene and regular rinsing can completely cope with it.

Noticing that the mouth stinks, some time after the main meal, you can eat an apple. The fruit acids contained in it will cleanse the mouth and improve breathing. A glass will also cope with this task. drinking water with a slice of lemon.

To eliminate the persistent smell after onions, garlic and fish will help:

fresh fruits and vegetables;
parsley;
bread;
acidic drinks;
milk;
green tea;
coffee beans.

After sleep

A stale smell after waking up appears in everyone. During sleep, processes in the body slow down, saliva production decreases, and plaque and microorganisms accumulate. Brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth quickly solves the problem.

Rinse your mouth with saline, baking soda, or herbal decoction contributes to an additional antibacterial effect, which means it helps to get rid of the smell. Remember, plaque forms not only on the teeth, but also on the mucous membranes, which also need to be cleaned.

due to gastrointestinal diseases

A change in acidity and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract causes a specific smell, which quickly returns after brushing your teeth. For best result it is necessary to simultaneously treat the disease and monitor the oral cavity.

Recipes for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract and the normalization of its work:

Before starting treatment, do not forget to consult a doctor and go through necessary examination. The doctor must confirm the diagnosis and give everything necessary recommendations. It is also necessary to coordinate home therapy with folk remedies with him. Unpleasant symptoms, including smell, will disappear after full recovery.

Home recipes: an overview of universal folk remedies

This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know from me how to solve exactly your problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

Traditional medicine has collected a number of universal recipes for a pleasant breath. They have refreshing, cleansing and disinfecting abilities. Such tools can be used in any situation, and also included in daily care behind the teeth and mouth. Of course, they will not cure ailments of the internal organs, but it will smell good in the mouth.

Rinsing with hydrogen peroxide

The tool can rightfully be considered radical and really effective due to the antibacterial properties of peroxide. The solution completely destroys all anaerobic microorganisms that cause odor. In addition, many diseases of the teeth (caries, periodontal disease) and soft tissues (stomatitis, candidiasis, etc.) are prevented (we recommend reading:). Among the numerous reviews of the procedure, one can often find a mention of its whitening effect. Tooth enamel becomes lighter by 1-2 tones.

You can only use the solution. To do this, no more than three teaspoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide must be dissolved in 100 ml of warm boiled water. Rinse your mouth 3 to 5 times a day.

During rinsing, a slight burning sensation, stinging or white foam may be felt. This happens when there are wounds, punctures, ulcers or inflamed areas in the mouth. The procedure in this case will be beneficial.

Hydrogen peroxide is an aggressive alkaline substance. Misuse solution can cause burns to the mucosa, and if swallowed a large number fluids and to burns of the walls of the stomach. The rinse solution must not be swallowed (when rinsing, a few drops enter the body, but this is not dangerous).

Use of activated carbon

Activated charcoal is one of the first absorbents that, like a sponge, absorbs harmful substances and removes them from the body, thereby cleansing it. The drug is used for various purposes, it is harmless and has high cleansing qualities. The intake of coal contributes not only to the elimination of odor, but also to the improvement of a person's well-being.

For urgent breath freshening, you need to take a double dose. activated carbon(normal dosage - 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight). After two or three days, it is worth switching to the usual dosing of the drug. The course of treatment is 7-14 days, depending on its results. According to reviews, already on the fourth day, improvements are felt.

Recipes with vegetable oil

Rinse your mouth with a tablespoon of quality vegetable oil for 5-10 minutes. After that, you need to spit out the oil and rinse your mouth with ordinary water, you can not swallow it. Repeat rinses twice a day. The oil can permanently remove pathogenic bacteria and freshen your breath.

Mix 2 tablespoons of oil with a teaspoon of fine salt. Rinse your mouth with the resulting product for at least five minutes twice a day. Do not swallow oil with salt. Do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after the procedure.

Rinsing with herbal decoctions

Herbal infusions and decoctions refresh, cleanse and treat certain diseases. The rule of use for them is the same - you need to rinse your mouth 3-5 times a day, after cleaning it from food debris.

The most common recipes:

It’s usually not very convenient to talk about the problem of repulsive breath, but this problem can affect any person. A repulsive smell is usually associated with violations of hygiene procedures, and therefore it becomes uncomfortable for a person when such a smell occurs. However, in fact, bad smell in the mouth can be the result of not only a violation of hygiene. Often, internal diseases are the cause of bad breath.

It is curious that a person tends to adapt very quickly to all kinds of smells and over time a person gets used to it and does not notice foreign odors. Based on this quality of our body, we do not smell our own perfume, even if it is a very strong aroma, because we get used to it. We don't smell own body and it is for this reason that it is very difficult to find smell from the mouth.

How do you know if you have bad breath? Of course, you can go for the most simplified version - you can just ask your friends. However, not everyone can decide on such an extraordinary step. In order not to experience false shame and embarrassment, it is necessary to treat this issue as a medical problem. In medicine, there is a special term for such a condition as an unpleasant odor from a person’s mouth - helitosis.

Helitosis can be constantly present in a person, or it can appear periodically. Therefore, even if you decide to interview your friends about your own smell in the mouth, one day it may not be there, and later it may appear again.

For some people, the causes of bad breath can be banal hunger (the stomach reacts to a hungry state in this way), while for others, pour over, on the contrary, the smell appears after eating. Most people pay little attention to this due to lack of time, or simply do not notice their smell. And if they notice, they are not in a hurry to go to the doctor with this problem, but they interrupt the unpleasant smell with menthol chewing gum or other mint preparations. Meanwhile, an extraneous repulsive odor from the mouth requires treatment. Moreover, helitosis, as mentioned above, can be the result of not only poor hygiene, but also a consequence of dental problems, as well as various diseases.

Like any disease, helitosis requires investigation into the causes of its occurrence before understanding how to carry it out. mouth odor treatment.

But first, you need to learn how to identify unattractive odors in your mouth. There are several tests that can be used to determine if there is an odor in the mouth or not.

Spoon odor test

If you take a clean spoon and run it with the convex side over the surface of the tongue, naturally, the remains of saliva will remain on the spoon and, possibly, white coating. After waiting a few seconds, sniff the spoon - the smell you hear is your mouth smell.

Wrist odor test

Lick your own wrist and wait a few seconds for it to dry before sniffing your wrist. What you hear is the smell, just from the front of the tongue. It should be understood that the smell of this part of the tongue is much weaker, since it is washed naturally by our saliva, which, as you know, contains antibacterial components. The back of the tongue has more strong smell and it is she who exudes such an active unpleasant odor.

What is it anyway causes of bad breath and how to deal with it?

Causes of bad breath

First of all, it should be understood that an unpleasant repulsive odor is a waste product of pathological bacteria that have accumulated in the oral cavity, and therefore most often such a smell occurs, indeed, due to poor hygiene. timely hygiene procedures help to get rid of bad breath easily. If, after hygiene procedures, a smell still appears soon, that is, such procedures are not enough to exclude the appearance of a smell in the mouth for a long time, then the cause must be looked for deeper.

The cause of bad breath must be sought primarily in diseases of the oral cavity - caries, periodontal disease, periodontitis, pulpitis, gingivitis, stomatitis, the presence of tartar. All of the above oral problems occur due to bacteria, which, having become the cause of such unpleasant diseases also cause persistent odors in the mouth. Food residues in the form of plaque accumulate on stones, in periodontal pockets, in carious cavities, causing an unpleasant odor and further aggravating the disease. For example, a disease such as gangrenous pulpitis it is precisely characterized by a specific smell, by which, in fact, this disease is determined.

The second place in the causes of bad breath is the dryness of the mucous membrane in the mouth. Saliva is our natural purifier. Washed away with every sip great amount bacteria. Accordingly, when salivation decreases, the process of cleansing the oral cavity also deteriorates.

Decreased salivation can be the cause of oppressed work salivary glands, and can also be caused by diabetes mellitus, anemia, gastritis, neuroses, taking sleeping pills and sedatives nervous system drugs. In addition, reduced salivation is caused by such habits as smoking, breathing through the mouth, drinking alcohol.

This phenomenon has medical term- xerostomia. It is because of the dry mouth that many people experience at night that we may have bad breath in the morning. During sleep, salivation decreases. The same can be observed during a long conversation, when we inhale air through the mouth. The mouth seems to "dry up". When such a phenomenon becomes chronic, then they talk about the disease xerostomia.

In third place among the causes of bad breath are internal diseases. These diseases include diseases:

kidney ( kidney failure)
liver (liver failure)
stomach (gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastroduodenitis)
infectious diseases respiratory tract (lung abscess, bronchiectasis)
nasopharynx (tonsillitis, rhinitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis)

Whatever various reasons didn't call bad breath Bacteria are the source of all problems.

Bacteria are always in our oral cavity, creating a certain microflora there. Any living organism, and bacteria is no exception, when eating, produces waste products, which are volatile sulfur compounds. It is these fetid sulphurous volatile compounds that we feel from the mouth. In medicine, such bacteria are called anaerobic, that is, those that can develop exclusively in an oxygen-free environment, which is just a plaque on the teeth in the oral cavity.

Periodontal disease, which is characterized by the occurrence of periodontal pockets between the teeth and gums, in which anaerobic bacteria flourish, certainly requires treatment for the causes of bad breath.

How to treat bad breath?

Since, as we found out, bacteria are the main source of repulsive odor in the mouth, it is with them that we have to fight.

Among the simplest, but effective methods Treatment of the causes of bad breath is worth mentioning the following:

A balanced diet that combines more plant foods.

Correct and regular hygiene procedures.
Regular visits to the dentist for preventive professional cleaning of teeth from tartar, as well as, if necessary, timely treatment possible dental and gum diseases.

It has long been noticed by doctors studying the problem of bad breath that when microbes consume protein, the release of unpleasant odor occurs with greater intensity. People who eat a lot of vegetables, especially vegetarians, are less likely to suffer from bad smell in the mouth. No one encourages everyone to become vegetarians, since nutrition should still be balanced, but if you include more vegetables and fruits in your diet, then you will give less food for bacteria, which means there will be less waste products of their vital activity, which, in fact, give off an odour.

High-quality hygiene procedures will also help get rid of bad breath. To do this, you need to use all possible ways that the modern hygiene industry offers today - toothpastes, gels, rinses, dental floss. Today, in addition to conventional toothbrushes, the dental industry offers all kinds of electric toothbrushes, the use of which will allow you to better clean your teeth at home. The formation of plaque - a breeding ground for microbes - will occur more slowly, not so actively.

Of course, this does not eliminate the need to visit the dentist twice a year. Also, an important measure in the fight against and treatment of bad breath is the regular cleaning of not only the gums and teeth, but also the tongue. For some reason, many people forget about this organ when they clean their mouths. Meanwhile, it is in the tongue, as mentioned above, that an unpleasant smell is formed and accumulates. Many modern models toothbrushes just provide including cleaning the tongue.

In favor of the fact that it is necessary to visit the dentist regularly is the fact that just the smell can be the “first sign” signaling an incipient dental disease. In addition, a professional doctor is also capable of early stage diseases to detect anxiety symptoms and start bad breath treatment with preventive measures.

For example, few people may know that if you drink more water, then this is a very effective way to stimulate salivation, which in turn will help you quickly get rid of bad breath.

In the fight for the good condition of the dentogingival system and the absence of unwanted odor in the mouth, rinsing with infusions of natural herbal remedies. For example, such medicinal and aromatic herbs do an excellent job with the smell in the mouth:

anise seeds
clove leaves
parsley leaves
cinnamon
dill
strawberry leaves
St. John's wort
chamomile
Oak bark
wormwood

Some of these herbs have antiseptic properties, some relieve inflammation, which occurs just because of the presence of bacteria and is a source of bad breath. Moreover, it is not necessary to make infusions, you can simply chew clove seeds, or parsley, mint. dill. This simulates the secretion of saliva, and saliva is known to be the very first natural purifier. Even chewing gum promotes salivation and may help in the fight for fresh breath. However, chewing gum by itself is not the remedy that eliminates the cause of bad breath.

Today there are also many pharmaceutical products, which contribute to the destruction of unwanted odor in the mouth. These are products that contain menthol oil, eucalyptus.

However, if preventive methods, based on competent hygiene procedures in the oral cavity, do not help or help only for a while, then it is necessary to treat bad breath more comprehensively by contacting a dentist, as well as a therapist to determine possible internal diseases food system.

Why is mouth odor so bad?

In search of the causes of undesirable odor, it is worth remembering that the main source of odor is the waste products of pathological bacteria. When a significant amount accumulates in the oral cavity, they begin to exude terrible breath odor. Often favorable environment for the reproduction of such bacteria is tartar.

The only way to combat this cause is regular hygiene procedures, as well as professional cleaning teeth from stone. Moreover, carrying out daily hygiene procedures, you need to without fail clean not only the gums and teeth, but also the tongue, because it is on the surface of the tongue, in particular on its back, that a large number of microbes that emit unpleasant odors accumulate. The front of the tongue is usually bathed in saliva, but the back of the tongue is a problematic source. bad smell from mouth.

Dental problems with teeth and gums, such as caries and periodontal disease, are also a serious cause for unwanted mouth odors. Open carious cavities are an excellent habitat for bacteria, and as a result of inflammation of the gums, periodontal pockets (spaces between the teeth and gums) form, into which food remains fall, and eventually form subgingival tartar. It is in the tartar that microbes and bacteria accumulate. This is why bad breath is always present in people with strong dental deposits or with advanced diseases teeth (can see the reason here). Obviously, the way to fight for fresh breath is regular visits to the dentist, dental treatment, professional cleaning of tartar.

It is also known that strong odor from the mouth may occur after eating. Food is a direct source of odor in the mouth. An indiscriminate diet of all kinds of fatty, smoked, highly spicy foods, especially in combination with alcohol, leads to a very pathological smell in the mouth. It is enough to remember what sensations we experience in the mouth, in the morning after the festive plentiful dishes.

It should also be noted that vegetarians are significantly less affected by bad breath. Therefore, it can be suggested, as a prevention of a repulsive odor in the mouth, to balance your diet, include more food in your diet. plant origin, and also, if possible, exclude certain products from consumption, especially before going to work, in public places, for a business meeting or to friends.

Among the products that create strong breath odor are the following:

Dairy and cheese products - milky plaque remaining on the surface of the protein after drinking milk, as well as any lactic acid products are an excellent source of food for anaerobic bacteria. As a protein, these products break down into amino acids and sulfur compounds. The lactose contained in milk is also destroyed, forming the same reaction. As you know, sulfur compounds, volatilizing, create a very unpleasant odor.
Garlic and onions - these products contain the strongest sulfur compounds, and after eating these products, volatile sulfur compounds begin to come from the skin and from the human mouth. There is a terrible smell from the mouth, reminiscent of the smell rotten eggs.
Coffee - oddly enough, this favorite drink by everyone also got into the list of "dangerous" products. The reason for this is the acidic environment that coffee forms in the mouth, instead of the usual for the body - alkaline. acid environment promotes the growth of pathogenic bacteria. It is no coincidence that some people after drinking coffee feel metallic taste in the mouth.
Fish and meat - high-protein food is best product for bacteria, and therefore after the use of such products, bacteria multiply very quickly in the mouth, the product of which is a strong smell from the mouth.
Alcohol - in itself has a specific smell, besides, it causes dry mouth. Weak salivation immediately leads to an increase in bacteria in the mouth and, accordingly, increases the unpleasant odor. True, alcohol cannot be attributed to products; rather, it is a bad habit.

Among other bad habits that lead to terrible smell out of the mouth should be called smoking. Nicotine cannot be "killed" by anything. The only way get rid of that kind of bad smell, it's not smoking.

Another cause of bad breath can be plugs in the tonsils. Cork contributes to the enhanced formation of bacteria, and those, in turn, create a nasty smell in the mouth.

Did you find out why the smell from the mouth happens to be unpleasant. It remains to understand how to deal with this, what needs to be done so that the breath is always fresh and pleasant.

Prevention of bad breath

In matters of struggle for fresh breath, two directions can be distinguished:

smell can be masked
the smell can be excluded, that is, the causes of it can be excluded.

To mask bad breath, the dental hygiene industry today produces many products containing menthol and mint, as well as other flavored substances. However, in order to eradicate causes of bad breath, we can recommend the following:

A balanced diet, however, it is worth knowing that there are some diets that adversely affect breathing. For example, people on a low-carbohydrate diet are at risk of getting a very repulsive mouth odor. The fact is that with such a diet, instead of carbohydrates, fats begin to break down, as a result of such splitting, ketone molecules are formed that exude a terrible smell in the mouth.
Oral hygiene
Stimulation of salivation

Saliva is the most faithful assistant in the fight for fresh breath. There are some foods that stimulate salivation:

Parsley
Green tea
Yoghurt natural
Apples, pears
Oranges, berries, melon

All the suggested measures should definitely help and make your breath pleasant and fresh. However, if, nevertheless, subject to all the proposed measures, you are haunted by bad breath, then it is hardly worth looking for the reason in dental problem. Rather, you need to see a therapist for comprehensive survey possible internal diseases of the body as a whole.

Determining the freshness of your own breath is not at all easy. We adapt to the scents we smell all the time and stop noticing them. In addition, the oral cavity and nasopharynx are single system, which makes verification difficult. But there are some simple and visual ways to understand if there is a bad smell.

Lick your wrist with the tip of your tongue and wait 15-20 seconds for the saliva to dry. The smell left on the skin will help to give some idea of the freshness of the breath. True, on the tip of the tongue is going least amount bacteria, so the results will not be completely true.

The main hotbed of microflora that causes an unpleasant odor is located at the root of the tongue. Swipe or cotton swab in this area and smell: if the "sample" smells strongly, there is a high probability that your breath may be spoiled.

Take a plastic cup, put it on your lips and let the air out through your mouth. The smell inside the container will tell you if you are suffering from halitosis.

Ask loved one, whether he notices a specific "darling" when he communicates with you. Sometimes it's the most reliable way find out the answer to a sensitive question.

Slight bad breath in the morning - completely normal phenomenon which almost everyone faces. This happens due to reduced salivation, mild dehydration, and a buildup of desquamated epithelium in the mouth. After a morning glass of water and brushing your teeth, everything returns to normal. But if during the day the symptoms do not disappear, we are already talking about a disease - halitosis.

There are two main categories of causes of halitosis: oral (associated with diseases of the teeth, gums, tonsils, nasopharynx) and systemic - due to disturbances in the functioning of internal organs. In the vast majority of cases, we are dealing with the first reason.

oral form

Specific putrid smell from the mouth - a waste product of anaerobic bacteria. They accumulate where there is no air: under dental deposits, under the gums, in carious cavities, on the tongue. Breaking down amino acids, bacteria release substances with a specific aroma (for example, hydrogen sulfide).

Caries (including under a prosthesis), gingivitis, pulpitis, periodontitis, stomatitis, dental cysts, pericoronitis. A rotten smell may indicate the beginning of necrotic processes.

Diseases of the ENT organs: inflammation of the tonsils, adenoids, sinuses, nasal mucosa, especially if present purulent discharge. Abundant production of mucus and leads to the appearance of a bad smell.

Excessive dryness of the mouth (xerostomia). Due to a decrease in salivation, the mouth is less cleaned, respectively, the likelihood of a tooth odor increases.

Bad smell as a symptom

Bad breath can also be due to other causes. The state of our breathing is affected by the functioning of the liver, kidneys, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, taking certain medications, smoking and addiction to alcohol. Only a doctor can determine the cause of halitosis, but the appearance of the smell itself will help to get some idea of \u200b\u200bthe violations.

The smell of acetone or rotting apples indicates the growth of ketone bodies in the blood plasma. In children, it may be type 1 diabetes syndrome, infectious diseases or dietary disturbances. In adults, talk about the development of type II diabetes or poor nutrition against the background alcohol addiction. When acetone appears in the breath, first of all, you need to take a blood test for sugar content.
The smell of urine (ammonia) suggests the development of renal failure.

The smell of fish - trimethylaminuria syndrome, genetic disease, in which the body accumulates the substance trimethylamine.

The smell of rotten eggs suggests otherwise genetic disorder- cystinosis.

Sweet smell may indicate a decrease in liver function and even cirrhosis.

Sour smell- about bronchial asthma.

The smell of iron likely symptom diseases of the blood, pancreas or stomach. But it can also be caused by wearing metal prostheses or drinking water with a high iron content, so it's not worth worrying ahead of time.

The smell of vomit or excrement sometimes accompanies bowel obstruction.

How to say goodbye to bad breath?

You can fix the problem only after determining its cause. If it is a matter of diseases of the teeth and gums, it is necessary to cure all inflammatory and necrotic processes, put fillings, and, if necessary, replace dentures. Sometimes patients experience an unpleasant odor after tooth extraction: similar symptom may indicate the onset of complications, so it is best to get to the dentist as soon as possible. A particularly strong putrid odor is given by periodontitis and periodontal disease. The doctor will remove the deposits with ultrasound and prescribe therapy.

Because the common cause unpleasant odor in babies are tonsillitis, bronchitis, sinusitis and other ENT diseases, the treatment strategy should be chosen with an otolaryngologist. Komarovsky also recommends correcting mouth breathing - the cause of dryness and halitosis.

How to prevent bad breath?

To avoid unpleasant problem need for prevention.

First of all, good oral hygiene. It includes not only brushing and toothpaste twice a day, but also the use of antibacterial rinses, dental floss, and sometimes an irrigator. For better use not a brush, but a plastic scraper.

Once every 5-7 months, it is necessary to visit the dentist to remove dental plaque and conduct an examination. Almost any disease of the teeth and gums can be identified on initial stage without waiting for inflammation, pain and unpleasant odor.

Experts recommend drinking 1.5-2 liters clean water in a day. This will help prevent dehydration and dry mouth.

Healthy diet will keep your breath fresh. In the morning, it is better to give preference to oatmeal, which promotes salivation. Do not overdo it with protein and fatty foods, dairy products, coffee and spices, but be sure to include apples, oranges and celery in the menu.

Pass regularly preventive examinations see doctors and get tested.

And others. In addition, fillings with a porous structure are able to accumulate bacteria on the surface, which multiply and create bad breath. Amalgam fillings can irritate the gums, which leads to enhanced growth bacteria on damaged areas, which also lead to an unpleasant odor. A poor-quality crown can also cause this symptom. In addition to diseases of the teeth and gums, bad breath can cause pathologies of the kidneys, liver, organs of the gastrointestinal tract and upper respiratory tract.

Naturally, in order to get rid of an unpleasant odor, the underlying disease that caused it should be treated. However, with persistent bad breath, additional measures to get rid of bad breath. To understand how to get rid of persistent bad breath, you need to know what triggers are involved in the process of its occurrence. It is by acting on the triggering factors for the appearance of bad breath that this symptom can be eliminated.

Regardless of the specific reason, trigger factor the appearance of persistent bad breath is the lack of saliva. The fact is that a huge number of bacteria live in the oral cavity, which use food debris and dead body tissues for their nutrition. In the process of life, bacteria emit fetid gases, which give the stench to the breath. These bacteria are adapted to live in an oxygen-free environment, and in its presence they simply die. Normally, saliva leads to the death of these bacteria, since it contains oxygen. Thus, when there is a lack of saliva, the oral mucosa dries up and the person begins to smell badly from the mouth all the time.

In fact, there are many reasons for the appearance of persistent bad breath, in addition to various diseases. In life modern man a huge number of situations that lead to overdrying of the oral mucosa, and, consequently, to the appearance of an unpleasant odor. For example, breathing through the mouth, excitement, stress, hunger, long conversation, etc.

So, in order to get rid of the ever-present bad breath, it is necessary to prevent overdrying of the mucous membrane and stimulate the production of saliva. To maintain salivation at the proper level, you need to drink as much water as possible and rinse your mouth with it. Various chewing gums, lollipops, sweets, etc. stimulate the formation of saliva. However, any refreshing candies and chewing gum should not contain sugar.

Be sure to keep your mouth clean. First, brush your teeth, tongue and gums at least twice a day - morning and evening, with a toothbrush and floss. Secondly, if possible, brush your teeth after every meal. If you can’t brush your teeth every time after eating, then you need to use rinses. In this case, you should use toothpastes and rinses containing antibacterial components. Pastes and rinses containing chlorine dioxide or zinc have an excellent effect, which have a detrimental effect on the bacteria that are the source of bad breath. After using these products, the bacteria that emit fetid gases die, and for some time they are not able to multiply and poison the breath.

At hygiene measures in the oral cavity, it should be remembered that it is necessary to clean not only the teeth, but also the tongue, and inner surface cheeks, on which a large number of dead cells accumulate, which are an excellent breeding ground for bacteria that emit fetid gases. The tongue and cheeks are cleaned with a brush or special spoons. If tartar is present, it must be removed by a dentist.

Today there are professional mouth guards filled with oxygen gel, which easily penetrates into the gums, tongue and teeth, effectively cleaning them, destroying bacteria and their waste products that have fetid odor. Wearing such mouthguards for 2 weeks allows you to completely cope with bad breath. Moreover, the effect of wearing mouthguards will be long-term.

In addition to mouth guards, another affordable and easy way to get rid of persistent bad breath is by killing the bacteria that produce bad breath. To do this, you should regularly, several times a day, rinse your mouth with hydrogen peroxide. The fact is that hydrogen peroxide releases active oxygen, which destroys bacteria that create bad breath. For rinsing, they take the usual 3% hydrogen peroxide, sold in a pharmacy. 4-5 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide are added to a glass of water, and the mouth is thoroughly rinsed with this solution. Rinsing is carried out 3-4 times a day. The use of hydrogen peroxide helps to permanently eliminate bad breath. However, after the unpleasant smell ceases to disturb the person, it is necessary to continue the use of hydrogen peroxide, because otherwise the bacteria may again begin to multiply rapidly and release fetid gases that poison the breath.

Almost every adult faces the problem of bad breath (halitosis) sooner or later. People experiencing such problems begin to feel some discomfort when communicating, which, in turn, leads to isolation, reduced self-esteem, loss of self-confidence and, as a result, loneliness.

All this can provoke the emergence of neuropsychiatric diseases that develop on the basis of a lack of communication.

Causes of bad breath in adults. Types of halitosis

Sometimes the person himself does not notice or does not want to notice the unpleasant odor coming from the oral cavity. However, it can be a symptom of quite serious illnesses , therefore, do not ignore the problem and contact the clinic as soon as possible to find out the cause and make the correct diagnosis.

Types of halitosis

There are two types of halitosis:

Physiological. The appearance of bad breath is due to errors in the diet or non-compliance with oral hygiene. This type of halitosis can occur with smoking, fasting, excessive use of alcohol and drugs.
Pathological. called dental diseases(oral halitosis) or pathologies of internal organs (extrooral).

Besides, in scientific world there are such concepts as pseudohalitosis and halitophobia. Both of these conditions are psychological in nature.

pseudohalitosis is one of the obsessive conditions in which the patient constantly thinks that he has bad breath. In such cases, the help of a psychotherapist is required.

Too suspicious people often suffer halitophobia - constant fear before the appearance of a bad smell after an illness.

So, before taking any measures to eliminate bad breath, you should find out the reason his occurrence. Maybe it's wrong and unbalanced diet or is it explained bad condition ecology? And if halitosis is caused by pathological changes in the internal organs or is it contagious?

Physiological type

There are many reasons that cause bad breath, the main ones are the following.

General condition of the oral cavity. In an adult, however, as in a child, the smell may appear due to insufficient care of the oral cavity. In this case, the teeth and gums should be checked.

Dryness in the mouth. In medical circles, this phenomenon is called xerostomia. It occurs, as a rule, as a result of long conversations. Often, xerostomia affects people whose profession is associated with constant communication (for example, TV presenters, announcers, etc.).

Wrong diet. Experts have identified a number of products, the use of which can provoke halitosis. Mainly fatty food, which provides negative impact on the walls of the stomach and esophagus.

Bad habits. Bad breath can be caused by habits such as smoking and alcohol. But if everything is more or less clear with the second option (those who have encountered the problem of a hangover understand well what is at stake), then with smoking the situation is somewhat different. This is explained by the fact that the smoker uses cigarettes almost daily, and tobacco smoke renders Negative influence on the oral mucosa. The result of such an impact is the drying of the mouth and the creation of favorable conditions for the emergence and development different kind harmful microorganisms, which will be very problematic to get rid of in the future.

Poor oral hygiene. Bad breath can result from plaque on the tongue, gums, inside cheeks and even teeth. The appearance of such a plaque is usually due to non-compliance with the rules of oral hygiene, resulting in active development bacteria that feed on food leftovers in the mouth.

Microbes. In some cases, bad breath appears in the morning, seemingly for no apparent reason. In fact, it's all about microbes that actively grow and multiply almost constantly, especially at night. During sleep, the amount of saliva in a person's mouth decreases, which creates favorable conditions for growth and development harmful bacteria. Get rid of bad breath in a simple way: just brush your teeth and to maintain the effect, additionally use a mouthwash.

Pathological type

This form of halitosis is characterized by the appearance of the following odors from the oral cavity:

acetone;
ammonia;
feces;
putrefactive;
sour;
rotten eggs.

The smell of rot from the mouth. The most common cause of this odor is pathological changes bodies respiratory system and dental diseases. In addition, it may appear due to the accumulation of food debris under the prosthesis or in a diseased tooth. Under the action of harmful microorganisms, amino acids are decomposed, which determines the nature of this form of halitosis.

The main reasons for the occurrence putrid smell from the oral cavity may be the following:

In addition, the smell of rot can be caused by the following factors:

disruption of organs digestive tract, while there is a particularly pronounced smell;
alcohol abuse and smoking;
poor oral hygiene resulting in tartar or plaque.

smell of ammonia. The causes of its appearance are kidney disease and kidney failure, in which the level of urea in the blood is greatly exceeded. The body, not being able to fully eliminate this substance in a natural way, begins to look for an alternative way out, that is, through skin covering and mucous membranes. This explains the appearance of ammonia smell.

The smell of feces from the mouth. There can be several reasons for its occurrence: intestinal obstruction, poor absorption of food, decreased peristalsis and dysbacteriosis.

People who suffer from bulimia or anorexia may also experience a fecal odor in their mouths. It is also associated with violation digestive process: food is poorly digested (or not digested at all), its decay and fermentation begins.

In some cases, a similar aroma can be caused by infectious lesions of the respiratory system.

The smell of acid. Enhanced level acidity gastric juice caused by diseases such as pancreatitis, stomach or duodenal ulcer, esophageal diverticulitis or gastritis provokes the appearance sour smell from the oral cavity. The smell of acid may be accompanied by nausea or heartburn.

The smell of rotten eggs. The main reason for the appearance of such a smell is also a violation of the stomach, associated with a decrease in acidity and gastritis. In this case, a person may experience a feeling of discomfort in the stomach, belching appears. Another reason for the smell of rotten eggs from the mouth is food poisoning.

The smell of acetone from the mouth. The most harmless cause of the smell of acetone is ordinary indigestion, but there are several fairly serious diseases accompanied by this form of halitosis.

The smell of acetone may indicate diseases of the pancreas (pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus), as well as indicate the development of other pathologies, which will be discussed later.

Diseases and liver. The course of some liver diseases is accompanied by the appearance of acetone in the urine and blood of a person. In case of violation of the work of the body, the task of which is precisely to cleanse the body of all kinds of unnecessary substances, including toxic ones, leads to the accumulation of acetone and, as a result, the appearance of a smell from the oral cavity.
Diabetes. High content blood sugar, characteristic of an advanced form of diabetes, coupled with the release of a large amount of acetone (ketone bodies) into the human blood, causes the kidneys to work in an enhanced mode and remove the toxic substance from the body. The lungs also take an active part in the process, which explains the appearance of acetone odor from the patient's mouth.

When this symptom appears, the patient must be urgently hospitalized in order to conduct a thorough examination and provide immediate medical care. Otherwise, a diabetic coma is possible.

kidney disease. The smell of acetone from the mouth can appear with uric acid diathesis, as well as with diseases such as kidney dystrophy, kidney failure, nephrosis. These pathologies cause a violation of protein metabolism and its decay products begin to accumulate in the blood.

Diagnosis of bad breath

Identification of halitosis is carried out in the following ways:

Organoleptic method (assessment of the intensity of halitosis by a specialist). At the same time, the degree of manifestation of bad breath is assessed on a five-point scale (from 0 to 5). Before the examination, it is recommended to refrain from using odorous cosmetics the day before the procedure, reception spicy food- Approximately 48 hours before visiting the doctor. In addition, 12 hours before the start of the assessment, it is advisable to stop using breath fresheners and mouth rinses, brushing your teeth, smoking, eating and drinking.
Analysis of the history of the disease: when exactly does bad breath appear, how long ago did it start, are there any chronic diseases oral cavity, gums, liver, gastrointestinal tract, paranasal sinuses and the nose itself, is there a connection with food intake, etc.
Pharyngoscopy (examination of the larynx).
Sulfide monitoring - the use of a special apparatus (halimeter) to measure the degree of sulfur concentration in the air exhaled by the patient.
Examination of the nose and nasopharynx using an endoscope.
Examination of the oral cavity by a dentist (to detect white or yellowish plaque on the tongue and teeth of the patient).
Laryngoscopy.
Consultation with a gastroenterologist and pulmonologist (in order to exclude diseases of the lungs and bronchi).
Biochemical blood test (examines the level of sugar, liver and kidney enzymes).

Prevention of unpleasant odor

In order to avoid the appearance of halitosis and subsequent problems associated with it, you should follow a few simple rules:

First of all, you must carefully adhere to the rules of oral hygiene and visit the dentist regularly for preventive examinations.
Nutrition should be balanced, rich in vitamins and minerals.
In addition to daily brushing of teeth, it is necessary to use special rinses for the oral cavity, which contribute to the destruction of harmful microorganisms and freshen breath. Do not abuse alcohol rinses, as they greatly dry the mucosa.
Timely prevention and treatment of pathologies of internal organs, as well as infectious diseases.
Regular consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits.
With each brushing of the teeth, do not forget about the tongue and be sure to clean it from the plaque that has appeared.
Refusal to use alcohol, cigarettes, and healthy lifestyle life.
Use of special moisturizers for dry mouth.

The appearance of a bad smell from the oral cavity should not be ignored and try to get rid of it with the help of hygiene products. This may only temporarily muffle the problem, but it will not completely destroy it. Sometimes even a simple consultation with a specialist gives a good result, and timely treatment will save you from such troubles for a long time.