What is Halitosis?

After your morning cup of coffee or a salad with too much raw onion, you have noticed your bad breath.  You brush your teeth, use mouthwash or chew a mint and your breath is much more pleasant.  When your breath is not improved after taking time to perform your at-home dental hygiene routine, you may be suffering from halitosis.  Halitosis is chronic and is not just morning breath; it may indicate that you have something more serious going on in your mouth or even with one of your major organs.

What Causes Halitosis?

If you have persistent bad breath after you have brushed, flossed, and rinsed and mints or gum only seem to cover it up for a short time, you have halitosis.  Taking time to talk to the dentist about your halitosis is important as you may be experiencing a more serious health issue.  The dentist can determine if you are suffering from one of the following problems:

Smoking or Other Tobacco Use – You already know that smoking is not good for you and that tobacco damages more than one part of your body, but the nicotine is causing problems in your mouth in more than one way.  Smoking cigarettes will immediately cause bad breath from inhaling, and nicotine decreases saliva production.  The dry mouth allows gum disease to develop more easily.

Mouth, Nose and Throat Infections – When your sinuses are fighting infection by increasing mucus production, the yellowish green postnasal drip can cause bad breath.  The bacteria feeds on the mucus present in your sinuses and can produce bad breath as the mucus leaves the cavities and travels down your throat.  The microbes from the infection not only cause the sniffles but they leave a bad smell behind in your mouth.

Dental Issues – If you are not diligent about your at home dental hygiene or your twice yearly cleanings, you may not know that you have a cavity developing.  Your gums may be experiencing prolonged inflammation leaving pockets on either side of your teeth for bacteria to grow.  The plaque causing bacteria is not usually cleared out from at home brushing and flossing, so making an appointment for a professional cleaning may really help your bad breath.

Dry Mouth – If you are a smoker, heavy alcoholic beverage drinker, drink large amounts of caffeine, or have other medical conditions, your mouth is not producing as much saliva as it should.  While that may not cause immediate concern, the resulting halitosis may catch your attention.  When the mouth produces enough saliva, the mouth is able to rinse away any leftover food and start to break down food before it hits your stomach.  Saliva is an important barrier for teeth and gums to prevent cavities and gum disease and without enough, your mouth will send out a smelly signal.

Other Chronic Diseases and Conditions – Halitosis can be an important signal that you need to review your diabetic treatment, your kidney function, your liver function or even your overproduction of stomach acid.   The dentist may refer you to a physician to treat these other problems.

More on Halitosis : What Does Halitosis Smell Like?