Mouth Odour -Who is Prone?

Mouth Odour -Who is Prone? I had an interesting Oiscussion wilK an elderly friend of mine during the week where she lamented a recent experience. she had with a handsome, well kitted young man with very terrible mouth our, who unfortunately was not conscious of this foul smell coming out of his mouth each time he opened the mouth. What made the whole experience touchy for my friend was the fact the young man, unbeknown to him of any foul smell was coming from his ‘within’, preferred coming very close to her while their eonversation lasted- oozing out the pungent smell as he talked.

As I had previously discussed on this page, one interesting thing about persistent mouth odour or bad breath is that while it is easily perceived by individuals in the vicinity of the focal person, the affected individual is often not in the know of this problem. Hence, the only way one usually got to know about it is if somebody commented on it. Unfortunately, most people are too polite to comment on another person’s bad breath. One may then have to rely on a family member, commonly the spouse, or a close friend to be honest to pass a concern comment about such offensive bad breath.

It is common … but

Although, most people have some degree of bad breath after a night sleep; this is normal and occurs because the mouth tends to get dry and stagnate overnight. This usually clears when the flow of saliva increases soon after starting to eat breakfast.

Some other relevant sources can also be traced as the cause of persistent bad breath. For example, chemicals in foods can get into the bloodstream, and then be breathed out from the lungs. On thisrespect, most of us are familiar with the smell of spicy foods like those containing appreciable content of garlic, onion etc and alcoholic drinks on the breath of people who have recently taken these. Similarly, other foods and medicines can cause a smell on the breath. This type of bad breath is temporary and easily cured by not eating the food and avoiding the implicated drink. If it is however discovered that a medicine is causing the problem then possible alternative drugs can be discussed with the doctor.

Similarly, for those who engaged in crash dieting or fasting, this can cause a ‘sickly sweet smell’ on the breath. This is due to chemicals called ketones being made by the breakdown of fat while fasting, and some ketones are then breathed out with each breath which can be rather offensive to others.

Smoking as a major culprit

Another avoidable and ‘curable’ cause of persistent mouth odour is smoking. Usually one can tell if a person is a smoker by their breath which ‘smells like an ashtray’. Stopping smoking is the only cure for this type of bad breath. Smoking also increases the risk of developing gum disease, which invariably cause bad breath.

In the same vein, people with nose problems am sometimes get bad breath, Relevant examples here are polyp (growth) in a nose, sinusitis and a ‘foreign body’ stuck in a nostril; all these can cause a bad smell. In this situation the smell tends to occur only, or more severely, when breathing is done through your nose, Sometimes, lung or tonsil infections are sometimes a cause.

In most people who have bad breath the bad smell comes from bacteria and other germs within the mouth. As the bacteria break down proteins and other debris in the mouth, they release foul smelling gases. One or more of the following may contribute to the buildup of bacteria and bad breath.

Food stuck between IEeIh: normal teeth brushing may not clear bits of food (particularly tiny bits of meat) which can get stuck between teeth. The food then rots and becomes riddled with bacteria; regular flossing can clear and prevent this problem. Plaque, calculus and gum disease: dental plaque is a soft whitish deposit that forms on the surface of teeth. It forms when bacteria combine with food and saliva. Plaque contains many types of bacteria. Calculus, sometimes called tartar, is hardened calcified plaque. It sticks firmly to teeth. Gum disease means infection or inflammation of the tissues that surround the teeth. If the gums look inflamed, or regularly bleed when cleaning the teeth, then a gum disease is likely. The severity can range from mild -to severe withaccompanying offensive mouth odour.

Test for mouth odour

The following simple test can be done personally to detect bad breath. Lick the inside of the wrist Wait a few seconds for the saliva to dry. Then smell the licked part of the wrist. If you detect an unpleasant smell you are likely to have bad breath.

Prevention and Treatment

For bad breath, prevention is the hallmark of management; it is important to form a regular habit of good oral hygiene – in particular teeth brushing and flossing.

Brush the teeth at least twice a day. Use a soft-tufted brush. The head of the brush should be small enough to ‘get into all the areas of the mouth. Spend at least two minutes brushing, covering all areas (the inside, outside,’81ld biting areas of each tooth). Pay particular attention to where the teeth meet the gum. Change toothbrush every 3-4 months. It is usually advised to use toothpaste that contains fluoride, since it helps to prevent tooth decay.

Also floss the teeth at least once a day after brushing, and preferably twice a day. A floss looks a somehow like cotton thread. Cut off about 40 em. Wmd the ends round your middle fingers of each hand. Then grab the floss between the thumbs and first finger to obtain a -tight 3-4 em section which you can pull between teeth. Gently scrape the floss against the sides of each tooth from the gum outwards. This will clean the narrow spaces between the teeth which toothbrushes cannot get to. Use a fresh piece of floss each time.

Other general tips that help with bad breath or persistent mouth odour are noted below: Gum disease is common, especially in smokers than non-smokers. Hence, aim to stop smoking.

Eat a well-balanced healthy diet. In particular, one should limit the amount of sugary foods and drinks, since sugars and sugars foods in the mouth are the main foods that bacteria thrive on to make acid which often contribute to tooth decay. The use of an antiseptic mouthwash at least once a day also helps and just before bedtime is probably the best time. The mouthwash aims to kill bacteria.’ In the same vein, clean the back of your tongue at least once a day.

Sugar free gum can be chewed after each meal. Cllewing gum increases the flow of saliva Saliva helps to ‘flush’ the mouth to help clear any debris remaining from the meal.

Going forward, endeavour to go for dental checks at least once a year; this is important because a dentist can detect excessive buildup of plaque and remove calculus. Similarly, early gum disease can be detected and treated to prevent it from getting worse and contributing to mouth odour.