Bad breath can ruin an important date and bruise the confidence of many people. There are many causes of bad breath. About 20% of people have bad breath. For these people, chewing gum and dental floss are essential. For others, understanding the common causes of bad breath will also help prevent problems before they occur.
Here are the top 10 causes of bad breath.
1. Tooth decay
Dental caries is generally a “cavity” in the teeth, which is caused by excessive oral bacteria and poor oral hygiene. Cavities can cause gum disease, further tooth breakage, and inflammation from infections or abscesses.
Because there are more bacteria around the cavity, and it is not easy to brush and clean the teeth, it will cause bad breath.
2. Gum disease
Periodontitis is the result of plaque buildup, and if left unchecked, bacteria and toxins can grow and cause your breath to smell bad. Therefore, bad breath is likely to be caused by periodontal inflammation and must be treated by a doctor.
When ulcerated, gum disease can also lead to a risk of stroke and heart disease.
3. Poor oral hygiene
Failure to thoroughly clean and disinfect the mouth, including cleaning teeth, dentures, and bleeding gums, is also a major cause of bad breath.
4. Acid Reflux
If you have too much stomach acid, you will burp, make your breath sour or smell bad, and you need an antibacterial mouthwash.
5. Dry mouth
Saliva can neutralize the acidic substances in the mouth and wash away bad substances. If the mouth is dry, bacteria can grow, causing bad breath and affecting social activities.
6. Unhealthy lifestyle
Excessive drinking, eating less fresh vegetables, and using various drugs may increase the acidic substances in the body, directly or indirectly causing bad breath.
7. Diet
There is a saying that you breathe out what you eat, and it is true. The food you eat not only affects your breath, but also your body odor.
8. Smoking
The nicotine and hundreds of other toxic chemicals in cigarettes ferment in the mouth and irritate the teeth and tongue, so smoking can cause tooth discoloration, damage teeth, gums, tongue and mouth, and affect the sense of taste. Not only will it cause disease, but it is also one of the causes of bad breath.
9. Tonsil stones
Tonsil stones are calcium deposits that build up in the jaw tonsils (lymph nodes), which can be seen in the back of the mouth or on the lingual tonsils. They are hard white or yellow spots that can also grow into larger “pebble” shapes. Tonsil stones can cause pain and bad breath and require medical attention.
10. Disease
Many infectious diseases, such as respiratory infections, fungal infections or pneumonia, as well as diabetes, kidney or liver disease, can cause oral problems and bad breath.
This disease-caused bad breath will be difficult to get rid of unless the disease is cured. By adjusting your diet and eating more green vegetables and minerals, you can live a healthier lifestyle and relieve disease and bad breath.