Although bad breath is closely related to dentistry, but there are still a lot of patients consulting me about bad breath, and also has an inescapable responsibility with the Department of Otolaryngology, so I published this article.
Bad breath, there is a little more subtle called bad breath. As the name implies, it is the unpleasant odor emanating from the mouth. Everyone has a few of these people around them, and they are often particularly enthusiastic, always actively joining in various discussions, but as soon as he opens his mouth, everyone does a breathless stare and can only use closed mouth sounds, such as “um”, to show their approval. However, we are all adults and will not be so indecent as to cover our noses with our hands or even point out where our mouths are, while those who are close to him will not say anything because they love him enough to accept all of him. And when he once knew the truth, will seriously affect his self-confidence in social, psychological burden is extremely heavy, and even some extreme actions.
Although bad breath is invisible and painless, but it is a major health problem that deserves our attention.
Teach you to simply detect bad breath
Can be a simple self-test: hands over the mouth and nose, like the winter freezing hands trying to breathe to warm up, force to the palm of your hand, and then smell your palm. Or like a perfume test, put your wrist out, use the middle of your tongue, not the tip, lick your wrist, wait for the saliva to evaporate and then smell your wrist. If the smell is already a little off, then it is likely that you have a breath problem. However, more often than not, it is “like entering the abalone’s restaurant and not realizing its stench for a long time”, self-assessment is still better than his assessment, it is best to find a friend or relative that you can talk to and ask openly.
What should I do about bad breath?
Will it be solved by “chewing a piece” or “rinsing a mouthful” as advertised? To solve the problem of bad breath, it is better to try to eliminate it at the root. A refresher whitewash is not a long-term solution. To eradicate bad breath, the first step is to find the cause, which is often the most difficult. The mouth itself is more prone to odor because of its complex structure and multi-bacterial, humid environment. In addition, the mouth is also the shared gateway to the respiratory and digestive tracts, so bad breath is also closely related to lesions in these body parts. To find the cause of bad breath, we should follow the principle of moving from the surface to the inside, from simple to complex. The first thing to consider is the mouth itself. The mouth itself is a bacterial environment, there are now identified as many as six or seven hundred kinds of bacteria, these bacteria are good and bad, many of the bad parts of the metabolites of the smell is not very good.
Therefore, to have fresh breath, the first thing is to maintain oral hygiene.
What is oral hygiene?
This “oral hygiene” includes two levels of meaning.
One, it is to reduce the bacteria that are colonized in the mouth.
This is not only to reduce bad breath, but also to prevent tooth decay and periodontal inflammation. Bacteria in the oral cavity mainly exist in the form of biofilm. Whenever you floss, the soft scum that tastes especially “sour” stuck on the dental floss is the bacterial biofilm that is scraped off. It must be removed mechanically, and toothbrushes and flossing are the way to go. When you brush your teeth, you should not only brush your teeth and surrounding gums, but also brush the back of your tongue a few times at the end, because the tongue is also a disaster area for bacterial colonization. Moreover, there are manufacturers who have specially designed and produced “tongue brushes” for you to choose from.
Secondly, it means to remove the food residue left in the mouth.
On the one hand, this can stop providing nutrients to the bacteria; on the other hand, if the food is fermented and rotten in the mouth, the taste can be imagined. The concept of “food residue” is broad, not only refers to shredded meat, vegetable leaves, rice grains such tangible residue, but also includes sugar, starch and other invisible “residue. Therefore, to eat less snacks, drink less, and develop the habit of rinsing the mouth with water after eating. Many people will like to use some mouthwash to freshen their breath, which is possible, mouthwash has both antiseptic and fragrance function. However, there is a point to remind, because many mouthwash with alcohol as the solvent of the active ingredient, and alcohol itself may bring bad breath problems, so it is best to choose a non-alcoholic formula of mouthwash. Quit smoking and limit alcohol this needless to say, the reason I believe that we can understand.
How can doctors help you relieve bad breath?
After talking about the daily self-care, let’s talk about the professional means of dentists. The first thing to check is tooth decay. Tooth decay itself is the result of cariogenic microorganisms infesting in the mouth for a long time, and after forming a cavity, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and is filled with food residues. Many cavities, once drilled by the dentist, can smell a very unpleasant smell through the mouthpiece, and often see the patient’s blushing expression. Once the wormy teeth have been treated, the gums should be checked.
In a healthy state, the gums are tightly attached to the teeth, pink and tough, and do not bleed easily; however, once periodontitis occurs due to poor oral hygiene, the gums become congested and swollen, and separate from the teeth. This gap is called a “periodontal pocket”, and bacteria will proliferate inside and produce bad odor. Moreover, the gums become brittle and bleed easily at this time, and the smell of blood adds to the bad breath. If periodontal inflammation progresses further, pus and even periodontal abscesses can be produced in the periodontal pockets. I don’t want to describe the taste of pus, and I believe you don’t want to hear it either. In addition to the most common cavities and periodontitis, there is another problem that may cause bad breath that is easily overlooked, and that is wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are located too far inward, so it is difficult to clean them thoroughly with regular oral care, which often makes the wisdom teeth form a complex of various oral problems around them: wisdom teeth and the front molars are often stuffed with teeth, wisdom teeth are hung with soft scales, large and small cavities, and the surrounding gums are repeatedly swollen …… clinically, the above points can be completely The “excellent wisdom teeth” that can be avoided are not very common, so most wisdom teeth are better to be extracted.
Bad breath may also be a manifestation of non-oral diseases
If these problems are solved by the dentist, but bad breath still exists, it is necessary to consider the deeper part of the respiratory and digestive tracts. The related diseases, in order, are rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, and digestive problems. In addition, there are also systemic conditions that can cause the exhaled breath through the lungs to have a particular odor, such as severe diabetes, liver and kidney problems, etc.
If you suspect these problems, you should first visit the ENT and Gastroenterology departments.