Halitosis, commonly referred to as bad breath, is one of the most common concerns dentists are asked about. People want to know how they can get rid of bad breath, or they simply want to know if they have bad breath.
Often, bad breath is rooted in an oral complication. The source is usually the mouth, but it can come from other sources too. This week, we're going to talk about bad breath and we'll share some sources of it that you may not have realized.
Your Diet Can Cause Bad Breath
Most people realize that the smell of their breath will take on characteristics of the food they eat, but even if they don't chow down on onions or mix heaps of garlic into their food, eating food that isn't smelly can still cause bad breath. Excessively low-carbohydrate diets, for example, can cause a person's breath to take on a foul-smelling odor. This occurs because low-carbohydrate diets cause the body to primarily burn its fat as a fuel source, which causes a byproduct called ketones. Ketones are said to emit a fruity, unpleasant smell.
Dentures Can Be the Source of Bad Breath
Sometimes, the source of bad breath is a set of improperly cleaned dentures or partial dentures. If dentures aren't put through a proper hygiene routine and checked out by a dentist regularly, food particles can get lodged in hard to reach places and cause halitosis. Additionally, if your dentist doesn't ensure that your dentures fit properly from time to time, you could develop infections in your mouth that may lead to bad breath.
Medications Can Cause Bad Breath
A side effect of many prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs is dry mouth. When your mouth doesn't experience a proper flow of saliva, it upsets the complex system of food removal and digestion, which creates the conditions for bad breath.
A Serious Underlying Issue May Cause Bad Breath
If you suffer from bad breath despite a great oral health care routine, immaculate teeth, and a healthy diet, the cause may be a serious underlying issue. Bad breath can be a side effect of these conditions:
- throat infections
- infections in the respiratory system
- bronchitis
- gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD
- lactose intolerance
- liver disease
- kidney disease
Thanks for Reading our Blog!
We hope our facts about bad breath help if you're experiencing it. Figuring out the cause of it is the first step to overcoming it. Sometimes it's just stepping up your oral hygiene routine, but it's important to know that it can be caused by factors outside the mouth too.
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