My breath stinks, what should I do? Causes of bad breath, treatment

What they are shy about and what they don’t ask about directly. Why does my breath smell? A persistent unpleasant odor, scientifically called halitosis, can be caused not only by poor personal hygiene or recent consumption of garlic, but also serious illnesses, which cannot be eradicated by taking mint chewing gum.

Possible reasons

Let's look at the main reasons:

Diseases oral cavity and mucous membrane: caries, pulpitis, periodontal disease, stomatitis, diseases salivary glands. The root causes of such diseases are often the incorrect use of a toothbrush; sometimes regular brushing of teeth twice a day is not enough.
Inflammation of the nasopharynx, Oddly enough, they can also become reasons. Among them: sinusitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis, lung abscess (smell of rot).
Dry mouth. It can be caused by various factors: constant use of medications (tranquilizers, diuretics), excessive mouth breathing, or a disease called xerostomia.
Impaired functioning of the kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract: esophageal diverticulum, colitis, gastritis, ulcers (accompanied sour smell).
Diabetes. The specific smell of acetone is a manifestation of diabetes.
Diets. Due to cleansing the body of waste and toxins in the first days of the diet, your breath smells bad. After cleansing the body, the stench disappears.
Range of products: meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, seafood, onions, garlic, legumes, nuts, coffee. You should review your diet, limit the consumption of the listed products, increase the number plant food: fruits vegetables.
Stable smoking and alcohol consumption. Want fresh breath? Give up cigarettes and alcohol.

How to assess the presence of odor

They greet you by their clothes. Popular expression concerns not only the things a person wears, but also his entire appearance, including bad breath. Often people do not realize that their breath smells bad. He is so used to it that he doesn’t feel it, although it is unpleasant for those around him. In this case, it is difficult to assess its presence. There are several ways to determine it:

Ask a friend or close relative. The method works if you don’t feel embarrassed asking something like this.
Place your palm parallel to your lips, make a maximum control exhalation and immediately draw in air.
If the first two methods do not help, you have the following options. Do a trick with a spoon. Take it, lick it, leave it for a couple of minutes and smell it.
You can do a similar thing with your wrist - spit a little on the skin, let it dry and smell your wrist.
Take a plastic jar, exhale into it and seal it with a lid. Let sit for 5 minutes, open and check for freshness.
There is a special device, a halimeter, that records the sulfur content in a person’s exhaled air. The cost of such a device is not cheap, it is approximately 6,000 rubles.

With such simple options you can easily check for bad amber.

Suspecting bad breath, we do not run to the doctor for advice, we chew chewing gum, spray a mouth freshener or gargle with a special liquid. But chewing gum will not defeat the disease; moreover, it can lead to disruption of the microflora of the cavity; let’s consider several treatment approaches.

Which doctor should I contact?

If problems arise, first contact your dentist. The doctor will conduct an examination, determine the cause of the disease, remove tartar if present, and hygienic cleaning, will explain the rules for using a toothbrush. If the diagnosis cannot be established by the dentist, he will refer the patient for further examination and identification of the causes.

Drug treatment

Let's present a list of commonly prescribed drugs in the clinic. However, let us say that it is not advisable to take them without a doctor’s prescription.

CB12. It is a liquid for rinsing the cavity. Acts as an antiseptic, fights microbes, prevents caries, strengthens tooth enamel. Approved for use from 14 years of age. Rinsing twice a day is sufficient. Allowed to take for a maximum of three weeks. The downside of this product is that after taking it, the smell returns again. This remedy is more preventive and does not eliminate the cause.
Septogal. It is an antimicrobial agent. Produced as lozenges. You are allowed to take up to eight tablets per day.
Asepta balm or medicinal paste. Used for infectious and inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity. The drug is based on propolis. Freshens breath, reduces bleeding gums. After applying the balm, do not eat for the first half hour. Apply 2 times a day. Please note that using the balm does not replace cleaning with a regular toothpaste.
Kamistad. Reduces gum pain and fights bacteria. Recommended for people who have recently received dentures as a pain reliever, but also has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Metrogil Denta. Dental gel treats gum inflammation, stomatitis, and periodontal disease. Duration of treatment is 10 days.

The list can be continued endlessly depending on the cause of the disease, but it is better to consult a doctor for a prescription.

Folk remedies

For minor illnesses, with the permission of a doctor, you can resort to folk medicine, mainly in this case, teas and infusions are used.

Add a quarter teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water, stir, and rinse the cavity.
Taking a mug of water with a spoon apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before meals.
Rinse with water lemon juice.
Crush fresh mint in a mortar or chop finely, pour boiling water over it, leave for a day. Drink like tea. Similar actions can be done with leaves of sage, wormwood, and white alder.
Pour 6 chamomile flowers into a glass of water and cook until boiling in a water bath. Cool and use as a rinse solution.
Pour into a teaspoon vegetable oil, pour it into your mouth, but do not swallow it, rinse it in your mouth for one minute, then spit it out and rinse with water.
Alcohol tincture from St. John's wort. Pour the tincture into a glass of water; the number of drops is equal to the age of the person who will be rinsing.
Mix a three percent solution of hydrogen peroxide with water in equal parts and rinse.
Oxalis juice diluted in water also reduces the amber.

Breath freshening products

If needed emergency help will help in the fight against odor following products:

Green tea.
Clove bud (chew).
Anise seeds. Chew them on an empty stomach in the morning.
Menthol.
Apple. Cleans teeth from plaque and removes stench.
Basil leaves.
Orange.
Pear.
Melon.
Watermelon.
Parsley.
Celery.
Yogurt.
Sorrel.
Spinach.
Tea with a spoon of honey and a pinch of cinnamon.

In order to prevent amber, sometimes it is enough to follow simple rules, and the problem will bypass you:

Brush your teeth thoroughly, not twice a day, but every time after eating.
Use dental floss.
Rinse with regular warm water.
An equally important feature is cleaning the tongue. Few people focus on such cleaning, but with its help you can prevent halitosis. Bacteria accumulate on the surface of the tongue and form or. Now there are special toothbrushes with a double surface, one of them for the tongue or scrapers. Clean your tongue, starting from root to tip, first one half, then the other.
See your dentist periodically.

Video about the reasons for the appearance of amber

You can learn more about why your breath smells by watching the video:

The problem of bad breath is a private issue and is rarely talked about out loud. Smart clothes and a well-groomed appearance will not save you at an important meeting if your breathing is not in order. Now we have figured out why your breath stinks. Don’t neglect the advice and check the availability of amber now. We are happy to help in this delicate matter.

Among all kinds of human shortcomings, imaginary or obvious, bad breath is not noticeable and unnoticeable in photographs, but it not only interferes with communication, but can also indicate serious problems with the body. In some cases, the situation worsens so much that we are not just talking about questionable freshness of breath, but we have to admit that our breath really stinks. What to do about this problem, and what to pay attention to first?

Halitosis - bad breath

The medical name for this symptom is halitosis. In this case, the smell can be different: sour, sweetish or even putrid. Mild halitosis can occur from time to time even in healthy person for completely natural reasons. For example, by morning a soft plaque accumulates on the teeth, gums and tongue, which has a specific smell.

There is a common misconception that people began to pay attention to bad breath under pressure from insidious dental corporations, but before that, everyone was indifferent to dubious odors. In fact, even in the last millennium, when praising loved ones, poets mentioned fresh and fragrant breath as one of the elements of beauty. It's hard to think about the sublime when your counterpart's breath stinks. What to do and in what order to solve problems? First, you should put aside panic and understand the possible reasons.

Why does my breath smell?

It must be admitted that human body It smells, and not at all like roses. What causes odors? The sense of smell perceives molecules of various substances in the air, and the type of these substances determines how pleasant or unpleasant the aroma is to you. For example, the contents of the intestine smell unpleasant due to hydrogen sulfide, methane, carbon dioxide and some other gases, which are waste products of bacteria inhabiting different sections digestive tract. The oral cavity is also home to microorganisms that are “responsible” for halitosis.

But if your breath really stinks, what should you do? Odor is a symptom that appears for any of these reasons:

dental problems;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
endocrine disorders (diabetes);
diseases of the ENT organs;
pulmonary problems (for example, bronchiectasis).

It is more difficult to get rid of halitosis if it manifests itself due to a combination of heterogeneous causes. Dental problems may occur in combination with stomach ulcers or other diseases digestive system.

Condition of the oral cavity

Dentists claim that they do not even guarantee the absence of bad breath. Many people simply brush their teeth poorly, do not reach the farthest corners, and a soft coating remains on the enamel, in which bacteria actively develop. The wisdom teeth and those adjacent to them suffer the most from this.

Over time, the soft plaque hardens and turns into tartar, which puts pressure on the gums, provoking an inflammatory process. When you have gum disease, your breath inevitably stinks. What to do? First of all, you need to remember that the absence of caries is not everything. It is necessary to brush your teeth thoroughly and regularly visit a dental hygienist to remove tartar.

Any inflammatory process in the oral cavity, sore gums, problem teeth - all this for the time being can proceed almost unnoticed, without critical pain. Halitosis, as the main symptom, is the first to indicate the presence of inflammation.

Gastrointestinal problems

If your breath smells suspiciously, the stomach may be the culprit. For example, if you eat garlic and then brush your teeth, it will still smell. Depending on the type of problem, an unpleasant odor may appear on an empty stomach, after certain types of food, only in the evenings or in the middle of the night.

If the problem is in the digestive system, what can you do to prevent your breath from stinking? You need to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist to conduct an examination and clarify the diagnosis. If the smell appears on an empty stomach, then it will be enough to eat something light and neutral - perhaps it is increased acidity.

Halitosis as a symptom

Bad breath itself is not a disease, but an expressive symptom that signals problems in the body. There are cases when it was halitosis that made it possible to make a diagnosis in time and recognize a serious disease before it turned into serious condition. Difficulties begin due to attempts to quickly cure the symptom in order to get rid of awkwardness when communicating if your breath stinks very much. What to do in such a situation?

The most common reasons are, of course, dentistry, followed by the digestive system. Much less often, halitosis appears due to advanced sinusitis, and is possible as accompanying symptom for diabetes and other diseases.

How to determine if there is a problem?

The most unpleasant feature of halitosis is that the person suffering from it does not always smell and is blissfully unaware of the suffering of those around him. It becomes difficult to communicate with him, especially if the interlocutor prefers to lean too close to his face. It’s even more difficult for subordinates if the boss’s breath stinks. What to do and how to check the freshness of your breath?

The most simple technique- you need to lick your wrist and after a couple of minutes smell the skin. You can smell quite an unpleasant odor. As a control test, take a scraping of plaque from your tongue. Run a regular teaspoon across your tongue, preferably closer to your throat. The slightly dried coating has a characteristic smell, which is what the interlocutor feels during a confidential conversation. A similar test is carried out using unscented dental floss - just clean the spaces between your teeth and smell the floss. Finally, you can ask a direct question to a loved one, especially if he does not suffer from excessive delicacy and does not hush up problems.

Oral hygiene

Dental hygienists say that more than half of their patients have no idea how to brush their teeth. This is why the chain of transformation begins soft coating into tartar, caries appears, gums become inflamed, and in the morning your breath stinks. What to do with this, we are taught from childhood - we need to brush our teeth twice a day, morning and evening, and the movements of the brush should not only be left and right. The spaces between the teeth are better cleaned by “sweeping” movements from top to bottom, and the gums are massaged in a circular motion at the same time.

Soft plaque forms not only on the surface of the teeth, but also on the gums, on the tongue, and even on inner surface cheeks Of course, you shouldn’t “scrape” the inside of your mouth too vigorously, as this can cause injury. soft fabrics, accidentally introduce an infection and only provoke the development of inflammatory processes. After eating, just use dental floss and rinse your mouth; you don’t have to grab a toothbrush.

Ancient folk methods

All kinds of herbs, syrups, and lozenges were previously used to freshen breath. Part folk remedies included violet flowers, mint, rosemary, clove oil, anise, cardamom, extracts from berries and fruits. Pharmacists created proprietary formulas and kept the proportions of ingredients secret in order to attract buyers who wanted to add an exciting aroma to their breath. Nowadays it is enough to buy a pack of chewing gum to achieve the same effect. The only problem was the short duration of the aroma.

Even for a medieval beauty, the question of what to do if her breath constantly stinks did not become some kind of unknown mystery. Sick teeth were treated with varying success by all kinds of healers, and inflammatory processes treated with decoctions and infusions medicinal herbs. These recipes still work today.

Rinse your mouth with medicinal purposes you can use sage infusion, pharmaceutical chamomile. If your gums become inflamed and bleed, a decoction of oak bark helps, pine needles, nettles.

Nutrition correction

If the smell appears after eating or on an empty stomach, then the culprit may be the diet. Diseases of the digestive system also require special diet, so changes in diet will not only improve the condition of the stomach, but also eliminate the unpleasant odor. If your breath stinks very badly after eating, what should you do about your diet? To begin with, you should exclude all foods with extreme tastes: salty, spicy, sour, smoked. You should be careful when handling raw garlic and onions. essential oils These vegetables can aggravate the painful condition, and halitosis is a side effect.

You can switch to a healthy and gentle diet even without a doctor’s recommendation - you should replace your morning sandwich with smoked sausage with a plate of tender oatmeal, and observe how your stomach feels, and whether bad breath appears after such a breakfast. A visit to a gastroenterologist and a full examination will help you make more reasonable adjustments to your diet.

Halitophobia

Commercial corporations have a somewhat different understanding of the postulate that everything in a person should be perfect, and they successfully manipulate the consciousness of the consumer. The natural color of teeth is not actually sparkling snow-white, and your breath does not necessarily smell like a bouquet of alpine herbs with a menthol note. The fear of not conforming to the replicated template can turn into a real phobia; a person thinks that his breath stinks of rot, what should I do? Fear appears and gets worse panic attacks. A person suffering from halitophobia does his best to mask his breathing, brushes his teeth not only in the morning and evening, but also after meals, and in between meals continuously consumes chewing gum, flavored candies and lollipops.

Such a bouquet of chemistry sooner or later leads to the fact that instead of an apparent problem, a very real and real one appears. Phobias need to be fought, they do not go away on their own - on the contrary, the condition can worsen, and related fears appear. Fresh breath is great, but avoiding bad breath requires a reasonable amount of effort without being overzealous.

Bad breath appears mainly due to diseases of the digestive system. But this problem can be dealt with, since the methods for eliminating it are quite simple and effective - you just need to correctly diagnose the cause bad smell from mouth. As a rule, it occurs due to the proliferation of anaerobic bacteria on the tongue, in the space between the teeth, and around them.

Causes of bad breath

Why does a bad smell occur? The main cause of bad odor is substance white , which covers the root of the tongue, is where bacteria live. Along with this, the unpleasant odor is caused by the accumulation of microorganisms in other parts of the oral cavity.

What determines the intensity of an unpleasant odor? It is usually associated with the following factors:

The activity of bacteria living in the mouth.
Conditions that stimulate the growth and number of these microorganisms.
Poor oral hygiene, which causes their accumulation.

Strong-smelling food

Other causes of bad breath include consuming strong-smelling foods. Some of them like onion or garlic, are famous for causing unpleasant odors. Their molecules, when digested, are absorbed by the body and then removed from it with the help of the blood.

Some, which have a characteristic unpleasant odor, enter the lungs with the bloodstream. From there, they evaporate when you exhale, which becomes the problem of bad breath. Usually, the odor caused by strong-smelling foods goes away on its own after some time, once these particles leave the body. To prevent bad breath, you just need to avoid eating such foods or limit their consumption.

Smoking

Surely each of us has had occasion to communicate with smokers whose breathing differs specific smell. The main causes of bad odor in smokers are nicotine, tar and other substances that make up cigarette smoke. They tend to accumulate in the mouth and attach to the teeth, gums, tongue, and cheek tissues. To completely get rid of such effects of tobacco smoke, you need to quit smoking.

It is worth noting that smokers suffer from dehydration of oral tissues, causing the moisturizing and disinfecting properties of saliva to become weaker, and this is fertile ground for the activity of bacteria. Smokers are also more susceptible to periodontal disease than others. Gum disease occurs due to the proliferation of bacteria.

Dry mouth

Surely you have noticed that in the morning, as soon as we open our eyes, our breath is not fresh. This is due to the fact that the body produces less saliva at night than during the day, causing dryness occurs. Dry mucous membranes are often found in people whose work involves speech, for example, teachers or lawyers have to talk a lot, which often causes them to feel dry mouth.

This concerns occupational dry mouth, but there is also a disease called xerostomia, which causes chronic lack of moisture. Sufferers of this disease experience difficulty in the struggle for fresh breath. Because moisture promotes natural cleansing of bacteria. Saliva consists of special substances that have antiseptic properties, therefore leads to the death of microorganisms and neutralizes the remains of their vital activity.

Cause xerostomia side effects from some medical supplies. The appearance of the disease can be caused by antidepressants, antihistamines, diuretics, narcotic substances. Dry mouth can get worse with age because salivary glands no longer able to work with the same strength, changes occur in its composition. Cleansing properties weaken. Those suffering from xerostomia are more likely than others to experience gum problems, so it needs to be treated.

Periodontal diseases

Why is there still an unpleasant odor? Gum disease also causes bad breath. Periodontal disease is the second most common cause of its appearance after bacteria. People over 35 years of age are susceptible to them, and the older you are, the higher the risk. Periodontal disease occurs due to infection of the soft tissues surrounding the tooth.

If they are not cured in time, this may cause bone damage, to which the teeth are attached. As the disease progresses, tissue sheds from the area between the teeth and gums, forming pockets in which bacteria can grow. The deeper the pocket, the more difficult it is to clean, so it is inhabited by a large number of microorganisms that cause a putrid odor.

Other diseases

Allergies and diseases of the upper respiratory tract lead to the formation of mucous secretions that descend from the nasal cavity into the mouth, causing an unpleasant odor.

Sinus diseases, accompanied by nasal congestion, force you to breathe through the mouth, which leads to dry mucous membranes and bad breath. With it, patients often take antihistamines, which also cause dry mouth.

Often the causes of putrid breath are diseases of the oral cavity. Any inflammatory process caused by an infection can be the reason for this, for example, this situation is observed with a tooth abscess or the eruption of a wisdom tooth. If you have untreated carious teeth in your mouth, a lot of bacteria and food debris accumulate in them, causing bad breath. Oral diseases must be treated promptly.

Diseases internal organs may cause putrid odor from the mouth. If the patient has tried all means of removing bad breath, but there was no effect, then it is necessary to visit a therapist. Your doctor will probably have an idea of your health status and can tell you possible reason bad breath. For example, a bad odor may be associated with diseases of the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract.

Treatment

The main source of putrid breath is sulfur compounds secreted by microorganisms living in the oral cavity. To reduce the risk of developing oral diseases and get rid of bad breath caused by uninvited guests, it is necessary to carry out treatment, which consists of high-quality hygiene. It is as follows:

Bacteria are not given the opportunity to feed.
Reduce their number.
Do not create conditions for their development.

How to deprive microorganisms of nutrients?

Bad breath is caused by waste products that bacteria produce when digesting proteins. Therefore, vegetarians are less likely to suffer from bad breath than those whose diet consists primarily of protein foods - meat. After each meal, food particles remain between the teeth and on the base of the tongue, which provide food for anaerobic bacteria. To deprive them of this opportunity, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the oral cavity after each meal by rinsing the mouth.

To remove bacterial waste products that settle as plaque on the teeth and along the gum line, you need to use a toothbrush and floss. To eradicate bad breath, you should take good quality food every day. clean the space between teeth using dental floss, since it is inaccessible to a toothbrush.

Visit the dentist

Contacting a dentist will help if independent measures to combat bad breath are unsuccessful. This must be done for the following reasons:

Not everyone knows how to effectively brush and floss their teeth. During the consultation, the doctor will definitely conduct a master class on manipulating these objects.
To effectively brush your teeth, you need to remove the accumulated tartar, which will be removed by your dentist.
To identify periodontal diseases that cause damage to the teeth and surrounding bones. If the disease is present, the doctor will prescribe treatment. In addition, in advanced stages it is impossible to effectively clean out the pockets that have formed on your own.
During the examination, the doctor may detect other diseases that cause bad breath and prescribe treatment.
If a doctor in his specialty does not find any problems, he can refer you to a therapist for examination, explaining the possible problems.

To clean the surface of the tongue from accumulated bacteria, use toothbrush or a special item for cleaning it. Move forward from the root of the tongue. For effective cleaning use language toothpaste, neutralizing sulfur emissions. Pastes with chlorine dioxide or zinc will give freshness to your breath.

Use rinse aids

Liquid mouth rinses can help effective action to protect fresh breath when used in conjunction with regular toothbrush and floss use, and cleansing the tongue. The following properties can be used as a treatment for bad breath:

Antibacterial.
Neutralizing volatile sulfur compounds.

Rinse aids contain substances that can neutralize bad odor:

Chlorine dioxide or sodium chlorite.
Zinc.
Antiseptic action.
Cetylpyridone chloride.

So, the main reason for the appearance of bad breath is the accumulation of microorganisms that feed on protein particles, leaving waste from their vital activity. To expel uninvited guests and reduce their population, you should carry out high-quality brushing of your teeth and tongue using dental floss and rinses.

Bad breath can cause people to notice us. And this is bad, because they only notice the unpleasant smell. When persistent bad breath appears, you need to look for what caused it. Treating bad breath is not about eliminating the symptom, but about treating the disease causing the odor.

Bad breath can significantly ruin our lives. It makes it difficult to communicate with other people and destroys our image.

How can you tell if you have bad breath?

A person himself is usually not able to determine whether his breath smells or not: the nose does not react to odors coming from inside the body. If we doubt whether our breath smells, the easiest way is to ask other people about it. There are also ways to figure out the odor issue yourself, for example, breathe for three minutes through a disposable medical mask. The smell remaining in the mask will correspond to what the people around us feel.

Bad breath: physiology or disease?

Bad breath in medical language it is called halitosis. There are physiological and pathological halitosis. Bad breath often appears in the morning. During the night, bacteria and their waste products accumulate in the mouth, which cause bad smell. This type of halitosis is physiological and can be eliminated by simply brushing your teeth. Physiological halitosis also includes odor caused by eating a number of foods, such as garlic, onions, cabbage. This smell will disappear on its own as soon as the substances that caused it are eliminated from the body. But it also happens that the unpleasant odor is not eliminated with the help of hygiene procedures, in this case, most likely, it is of a pathological nature.

Bad breath: causes

Most common reason unpleasant odor is the active activity of pathological bacteria in the oral cavity. Diseases such as gingivitis, as well as the formation of tartar, can lead to persistent bad breath.

The second place among the causes of unpleasant odor is ( medical term – xerostomia). Mica, which moisturizes our mouth, has bactericidal properties. It kills bacteria, neutralizes their waste products, rinses and cleanses the oral cavity. If there is not enough saliva produced, bacteria are activated, resulting in an odor. Dry mouth can be a consequence of illness or taking a number of medications. It can also be caused by age: over time, the salivary glands begin to work less intensively, the composition of saliva changes, and its antibacterial properties are lost.

The smell can also be caused by ENT diseases: , .

Another cause of unpleasant odor is diseases of the internal organs. It can be:

renal failure;
liver failure;
stomach diseases ( , );
lung diseases.

Smoking is also a cause of persistent bad breath. The odor is caused by substances contained in tobacco smoke and settling in the oral cavity. The only way To eliminate the unpleasant odor in this case, quit smoking.

What is bad breath like?

Peculiarities of odor can indirectly indicate the source of problems.

Hydrogen sulfide smell(the smell of rotten eggs) indicates rotting protein substances. This smell is typical for digestive problems. A persistent hydrogen sulfide odor may indicate gastritis with low acidity or a stomach ulcer.

Sourish smell and a corresponding taste in the mouth is noted with gastritis with high acidity. This smell may appear on early stage diseases when there are no other symptoms yet.

Bitter smell and the taste in the mouth is typical of liver and gallbladder diseases. An additional symptom is the appearance of yellow.

Smell of acetone and his attendant sweet taste in the mouth - characteristic symptom.

Urine smell from the mouth indicates a disease genitourinary system(primarily the kidneys or bladder).

Stool smell from the mouth can occur with intestinal diseases (intestinal dyskinesia, intestinal obstruction).

Putrefactive Breath odor is typical for dental diseases(inflammatory processes of teeth and gums).

Bad breath: what to do?

The fight against bad breath begins with careful adherence to good oral hygiene. If the source of the odor is the activity of bacteria, it will help proper cleaning teeth. Teeth should be brushed not only from the outside, but also from the inside, and also treat the chewing surface of the teeth. The brush angle should be 45°. Using dental floss, hard-to-reach areas between teeth are treated. If your teeth are in poor condition, simply brushing your teeth will not solve the problem. You will need to visit the dentist and, and if there is caries on your teeth, cure them. It is recommended to visit the dentist at least once or twice a year.

It is also necessary to combat dryness of the oral mucosa. If you feel dry mouth, take a few sips of water and rinse your mouth. However, it should be remembered that frequent dry mouth may be a symptom serious illnesses. However, like the unpleasant smell itself. Therefore, if you have persistent bad breath, you should definitely see a doctor and undergo an examination.

Which doctor should I contact if I have a complaint about bad breath?

Bad breath is not a disease, but a symptom. It is necessary to establish the cause - the disease causing the unpleasant odor - and begin its treatment.

If you suspect that the odor is caused by problems in the oral cavity, you should contact your dentist. If, apart from the smell, there are no other symptoms indicating a disease of a particular organ, you can seek advice from a therapist.

Bad breath can interfere with communication with people business meeting, on a date and in other situations. The reasons may be related to diseases of the oral cavity or internal organs. If you cannot cope with the problem on your own, then immediately contact a specialist.

How does the disease appear?

There is a medical term for oral problems - halitosis.
There is the usual unpleasant morning breath. It is a purely physiological phenomenon and can be eliminated with a toothbrush. Additionally, garlic, onions, or cabbage may cause bad breath. All these manifestations are physiological.
According to statistics, more than a quarter of the world's population suffers from pathological halitosis. It will be much more difficult to deal with. Neither chewing gum, nor candy, nor toothpaste will come to the rescue.

The causes of bad breath in adults vary. Another important factor can be advanced caries. IN carious cavities a large number of anaerobic bacteria and food debris accumulate. With periodontitis, microbes actively multiply under the gums, causing a sulfurous odor. In this case, even the blood and purulent inflammatory exudate located in the gum pockets smell unpleasant.

Wearing dentures can also lead to halitosis. In this case, the odor is absorbed by the polymer base of the denture, and pieces of food remain under the dentures and decompose, creating an unpleasant odor.

Reduced saliva secretion and dry mouth syndrome are another cause of odor. Provided that saliva is not released quickly enough and in small quantities, the natural cleaning of the oral cavity from food debris is disrupted, favorable conditions are created for the proliferation of microorganisms, and, in general, local immunity is reduced.

TO common reasons The occurrence of halitosis is mainly chronic diseases related to the gastrointestinal tract, ENT diseases, metabolic disorders, hormonal disorders and others. Women may face the problem of bad breath due to the onset of... menstrual cycle, as estrogen levels increase. These hormones promote increased desquamation of the epithelium, including on the oral mucosa, and this is a favorite breeding ground for anaerobic microorganisms.

In most cases, halitosis should prompt the patient to check their health. The smell may signal a more serious illness. In approximately 8% of cases, the cause of halitosis is pathology of the ENT organs. Chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, tonsillitis, nasal polyps often provoke an unpleasant odor.

The smell of acetone from the mouth of a child or an adult may indicate diabetes mellitus. Dysfunction of the liver and gall bladder are also accompanied by a “pungent” heavy odor, and kidney failure is accompanied by a putrid “fishy” odor. When receiving such signals, be sure to go to the doctor, and do not run to the pharmacy in search of a magic remedy.

The smell of garlic from the mouth is a problem that occurs not only immediately after taking the product. Garlic and raw onions contain substances belonging to the group of sulfur compounds. They are able to be absorbed into the blood and then released through the lungs during breathing.

Alcohol, nicotine, coffee and some medications(antibiotics and sulfonamides, antidepressants, antihistamines and anti-inflammatory drugs) cause dry mouth and therefore lead to an unpleasant odor.

Stress, nervous tension or excessive dieting and fasting provoke the occurrence of halitosis. During fasting, a deficiency in the intake of proteins and fats is created in the body, and the utilization of endogenous reserves begins, which can also cause an unpleasant odor. He appears at the moment stressful situation, and immediately disappears after the cessation of emotional stress.

Diagnostic methods

Nowadays medicine uses effective methods for diagnosing halitosis. It allows you to assess the intensity of the unpleasant odor and how successful its treatment is.

To identify bacteria that cause halitosis, some dentists use microbiological tests. They can analyze the composition of dental plaque. Looks around with the help of a mirror rear end tongue - it should be the same color as the oral mucosa. White, cream or Brown color indicates glossitis. During the examination, the specialist evaluates the patient’s teeth for the quality of hygiene.

Consult an ENT doctor (for the presence of sinusitis and polyps) and a gastroenterologist, who should rule out systemic diseases such as diabetes, liver and kidney failure.

Only after finding out the reason can you prescribe correct treatment. If these are advanced ENT diseases, then you will have to undergo treatment from an otolaryngologist. Other chronic diseases require consultation and treatment from appropriate specialists.

If the cause of the unpleasant odor lies in the oral cavity, then it is necessary to eliminate foci of infection, remove decayed teeth that cannot be restored, and take a course professional hygiene oral cavity with the removal of supragingival and subgingival dental plaque.

Any odor is a volatile compound. People often try to mask the odor with mouthwash or chewing gum. You must understand that the effect of chewing gum is temporary and it has a detrimental effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

Hygiene rules

Brushing your teeth should be done with a toothbrush and floss (dental floss) to remove plaque and food debris from your teeth. Cleaning your tongue should become a mandatory daily procedure. This not only eliminates odor, but also reduces the total number of bacteria in the oral cavity, which has a beneficial effect on the health of periodontal tissue. If periodontitis has already been diagnosed, you should start using special oral irrigators for more effective removal infected masses and food debris from periodontal pockets. In addition, irrigators can help relieve dry mouth.

Nutrition plays a key role in this matter. An excess of fast carbohydrates (sugar and processed foods) increases the amount of plaque on the teeth and provokes the occurrence of caries. Eat plenty of fiber. Fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits are magicians in normalizing intestinal function and reducing bad breath.

Checking your breathing

You need to bring your palm to your face in such a way as to simultaneously cover your mouth and nose. After this, exhale deeply through your mouth. Got an unpleasant odor? If you can’t clearly identify what and how it smells, buy a disposable mask at the pharmacy and breathe into it for a minute. The smell under the mask will tell you about the smell that others smell from you during communication.

IN modern world Specialized breath indicators are produced that can determine the level of freshness on a five-point scale. IN medical institutions They use a more complex device - a gas analyzer. With its help you can determine chemical composition air that is released when exhaling, and determine the causes of the bad odor.

Why is my breath bad?

The main causes of bad breath are:
- insufficient level of hygiene;
- xerostomia - insufficient level of hydration of the oral mucosa; - diseases of the teeth and gums;
- inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.

Such halitosis can only be cured by dental clinics. It is worth remembering that bad breath can be caused not only by diseases of the oral cavity, but also by:
- ENT diseases: sore throats, sinusitis, runny nose;
- diseases of the intestines and stomach;
- disorders endocrine system;
- all kinds of diets;

Lung diseases;
- some medicines;
- smoking.

Types of bad breath

A sour smell and taste in the mouth can cause gastritis when increased acidity, gastrointestinal ulcers and esophageal diseases.

The hydrogen sulfide smell is the smell of rotten eggs. The cause of the smell is the process of rotting protein substances. If the smell is accompanied pain symptoms in the abdominal area after eating, belching and nausea, it can be caused by gastritis with low acidity, peptic ulcer, diverticulosis of the stomach or esophagus and others.

Regular overeating can cause an unpleasant odor. In such cases, you can get rid of it using absorbent substances ( Activated carbon, “Smecta”), as well as enzyme-based drugs (“Festal”, “Pancreatin”, “Mezim” and others).

The smell of feces from the mouth can occur with dysbacteriosis, intestinal motor neuroses (dyskinesia) and intestinal obstruction.

The smell and taste of bitterness is a manifestation of diseases of the gallbladder and liver, this may also indicate yellow plaque on the tongue.

The sweet smell of acetone can cause pancreatic diseases and diabetes.

The smell of urine from the mouth indicates kidney disease.

How to remove bad breath

Bad breath in a child or an adult can be removed using the same methods.

To begin with, add a procedure for cleansing the surface of the tongue to your daily twice-daily brushing of your teeth. It is better to do this in the evening using an ordinary teaspoon. Using light, gentle movements from root to tip, clean your tongue of daytime plaque. The procedure is effective, although it brings little pleasure. Below you will learn a few more ways to get rid of bad breath.

Cleaning your tongue will rid you of bacteria, which become significantly more more at night during sleep. Your breath will be fresh the next morning.
Clean the spaces between your teeth using a special floss. If you don’t have it on hand, use the old-fashioned method: tear off a strip of pure polyethylene, stretch it into a thread and remove food debris and plaque from the interdental space.

After eating, be sure to rinse your mouth with plain water.

Homemade Mouthwash Recipes

We will tell you how to get rid of bad breath at home

1. A tablespoon of oak bark is poured into 200 ml of boiling water and heated in a water bath for 30 minutes. Strain the solution after cooling and rinse your mouth and throat. Oak bark strengthens the gums and clears plaque from the tonsils, which are a source of bad odor due to the large accumulation of infectious components.

2. A tablespoon of mint, chamomile, sage or strawberry is poured into a glass of boiling water. The broth must be strained after it has cooled. Use to rinse your mouth after meals 3-4 times daily.

There is an even more effective tool. An irrigator is a tool similar to a toothbrush that cleans the spaces between teeth using a strong stream of water. By massaging the gum surface, it activates blood circulation.

Choosing the right toothpaste for bad breath

If you have halitosis, you should choose a toothpaste that does not contain alcohol. It dries out the oral mucosa, and this only intensifies the smell. In addition, it is worth purchasing pastes that contain antibacterial agents based on chlorine compounds.

When choosing a rinse aid, follow the same principles as when choosing a toothpaste. Modern mouthwashes may contain zinc- and choloro-containing components, which reduce the activity of bad breath through chemical reactions.

What to do to quickly eliminate bad breath?

You will learn how to quickly remove bad breath.

Try drinking a cup of strong tea, then rinse your mouth and throat with clean water.
eat an apple or carrot. The aroma of onions or garlic can be neutralized with parsley or celery root.
Drink water more often if you have to talk a lot during the day. This will prevent your mouth from drying out and eliminate bad breath.
include in your morning diet rolled oats porridge, which, in turn, significantly activates saliva production.
By chewing coffee beans, you can dull the unpleasant smell and taste in your mouth.

You can rub your teeth, gums and tongue with your finger to massage the gums and get rid of the smell.
use the pulp walnut for wiping gums. You will give oral health essential vitamins and freshen your breath with a pleasant nutty taste.

The first specialist you should contact is an ENT specialist. Diseases of the nose, throat and ear most often provoke problems with fresh breath. If he assures you that there is nothing wrong with you, then see a therapist. The cause of the unpleasant odor is an exacerbation of the disease, which has become chronic.

Monitor your health and prevent possible diseases.