Bad breath and oral hygiene

How can we stop the unpleasant taste in the mouth?

Bad breath is a common complaint, which develops in the course of our life due to different reasons. The bad breath can be temporal, but it can develop into a permanent, chronic condition. The permanently bad breath is a condition that affects 30% percent or 1/3 of the population. Bed breath develops because the microorganisms decompose the food particles in the film. These naturally occurring bacteria are found mostly on the tongue. Did you know that on the entire body the number of bacteria per square centimetre is the highest on the tongue? This is the reason why a good oral hygiene including the brushing of the tongue can reduce the morning bad breath significantly?  Regular cleaning of the tongue removes bacterial plaque, improves taste and reduces the bad taste in the mouth. Both regular and electronic toothbrushes are appropriate for cleaning of the tongue.

Temporal bad breath

The temporally occurring bad breath can have many different reasons. Often, it is caused by food particles of an unpleasant smell that are stuck between the teeth, typically onion and garlic.

Other reasons such as smoking or an extreme diet can also cause bad breath. Dry mouth caused by smoking only worsens the problem, while starvation also leads to bad breath.

Without the regular, daily brushing and flossing the decomposing leftover food leads to the typically unpleasant breath. Gingivitis and periodontal disease develops because of the lack of oral hygiene may cause bad breath.  This is the reason why the careful removal of leftover food and film is so important.

To prevent bad breath you should brush your teeth, use dental floss and use antibacterial mouthwash. Do not forget to replace your toothbrush to a new in every three month- as it is recommended by dentists.

Chronic or permanently bad breath

Permanently bad breath is a more serious and constant problem, which is besides being unpleasant, it has a negative effect on personal relationships. It is possibly caused by the high number of bacteria producing hydrogen sulphide in the oral cavity, but there might be a more serious illness in the background, so it is better to discuss the possible reasons with your dentist. Other specialized treatment may be necessary to complete your dental treatment.

Dry mouth can trigger or worsen the bad breath, because the decrease of saliva production supports bacteria multiplication. A sufficient amount of saliva is needed to clean the mouth and to keep it wet. The morning bad breath is a natural process caused by the reduced saliva production at night, worsened by given medicines and illnesses. Diabetes and the illnesses of lungs, liver and kidney cause typically bad breath.

What causes bad breath?

The unpleasant smell is caused by diseases in the oral cavity, but it may have other reasons.

• neglected oral hygiene, plaque build-up- because of the lack of brushing and flossing
• Gingivitis and Periodontal disease
• smoking and alcohol consumption
• consumption of foods with unpleasant smell (onion, garlic)
• reduced saliva production caused by medicines
• general diseases such as tumours, diabetes,  illnesses of liver and kidney

We usually do not feel our own bad breath; it is mostly experienced by others around us. In some cases it is accompanied with metallic or sour sensation in the mouth. Bad breath is often caused by bacteria in the oral cavity that cause the release of the unpleasant fragrances, mainly hydrogen sulphide. The degree of the production of the volatile hydrogen sulphides depends on many reasons.

• bacterial composition of the oral cavity
• menu, the nourishment of bacteria
• amount of saliva
• tooth decay