Perhaps
you just got finished eating the biggest garlic meal you’ve ever encountered,
or just work up from an epic nap – either way, your breath is probably less
than friendly. The technical term for bad breath is halitosis and over 90
million people suffer from it. It’s caused by bacteria on your gums and tongue which
produces a malodorous sulfur compound from the decay of food particles and
other debris in your mouth. Outside of food and sleep, what else could lead you
mouth to host such an atrocious stench? There might be a couple of reasons –
Halitosis
is a side effect of gum disease, diabetes, kidney failure, a medical infection
or a liver malfunction. Stress, snoring, dieting, age and hormonal changes can
also have an effect on your breath.
Dry
mouth could also be the cause of your bad breath. Without the cleansing and
rinsing action of saliva, the bacteria in your mouth sticks to your gums and
tongue, producing the sulfur compound created from the food particles in your
mouth. A mouth breather will wake with a dry mouth or someone on a lot of
medication may also suffer from medication xerostomia. Both instances
invite halitosis without proper cleaning of teeth, gums, tongue and sides of
cheeks.
Your
dentist can help detect any physical problems that contribute to bad
breath and will help determine the source of halitosis. Regular
cleanings and
proper oral hygiene techniques can obviously help alleviate most unpleasantries.
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| From ada.org |
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