Causes and treatment of bad breath. Modern medicine in the treatment of halitosis. Pastes with antibacterial properties

Bad breath is called halitosis. In most cases, this is one of the manifestations of dental or other diseases, so refreshing products can only mask it for a while.

Poor oral hygiene can increase the odor. Often, such a symptom is a harbinger of life-threatening conditions. Read on to learn more about the causes of bad breath in adults and the treatment of halitosis.

Causes of bad breath in adults

Bad breath caused by pathological causes always has specificity, that is, the same for a particular disease.

Caries and other oral diseases cause the appearance of one type of odor, and stomach and intestinal problems cause another. Doctors distinguish the following types of halitosis:

1. Pathological - it is caused by diseases internal organs(extraoral halitosis) or dental problems(oral).
2. Physiological, which is not associated with diseases and is caused by errors in nutrition or lack of proper oral care. This smell occurs when fasting, smoking, drinking alcohol or medicines.

There are also terms such as halitophobia and pseudohalitosis. These conditions are due to psychological reasons. In the first case, there is a fear of the appearance of a smell after an illness; suspicious people are prone to this.

Pseudogalithosis refers to obsessive states When a person feels that his breath constantly smells bad, this requires the help of a psychotherapist.

One or another cause of bad breath in an adult determines the nature, or shade, of halitosis. It, in turn, helps to understand where in the body the problem may be localized.

Pathological factors cause seven types of odor from oral cavity:

• putrefactive;
• feces;
• ammonia;
• sour;
• acetone;
• rotten eggs.

Putrid odor from the mouth

More often indicates dental diseases and pathologies respiratory organs. It may appear due to the accumulation of food debris in a tooth affected by caries or under a denture, due to the inflammatory process. The nature of the odor is due to the decomposition of amino acids under the influence of bacteria.

As a result, volatile, unpleasant-smelling substances are formed. Common reasons are listed below putrid smell.

1. Respiratory tract diseases - sinusitis, sore throat, pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, tonsillitis, allergic runny nose or bronchitis.
2. Oral diseases - dysbacteriosis, stomatitis, periodontitis, caries, diseases salivary glands or periodontal disease.

Putrid odor can also be caused by:

• plaque on teeth or tartar due to poor hygiene;
• smoking or drinking alcohol;
• impaired digestion - in this case the smell can be especially pronounced.

Its cause is often localized in the intestines and is caused by dysbiosis, obstruction, decreased peristalsis and food absorption.

The smell of feces from the mouth occurs in people suffering from anorexia or, which is also associated with a violation of the digestion process - food is not absorbed, it begins to rot and ferment.

A fecal odor sometimes occurs when infectious lesion respiratory organs.

Ammonia smell from breath

It occurs in kidney diseases and renal failure, when the level of urea, a molecule containing an amino group, is elevated in the blood. Due to a malfunction of the filtering system, the body begins to look for other ways to eliminate this toxic substance - through the skin and mucous membranes. As a result, your breath smells like ammonia.

Smell of acid

Sour breath in an adult is caused by increased stomach acidity, which can be caused by various diseases - gastritis, duodenal or stomach ulcers, pancreatitis.

The sour smell may be accompanied by heartburn and nausea.

Rotten egg smell

It also appears with stomach problems, but in the case of low acidity, as well as gastritis, this can be accompanied by belching and a feeling of discomfort in the stomach. Another cause of rotten egg breath is food poisoning.

It indicates diseases - diabetes, pancreatitis, as well as some other pathologies, which are described below.

There are several pathogenic causes smell of acetone from the mouth of an adult. The most harmless of these may be indigestion, but there are serious diseases that cause this symptom.

Diabetes

At running forms diabetes blood sugar levels are very high. At the same time, a large number of ketone bodies, which are called colloquial speech acetone (in fact, these are compounds of the same class with a similar structure).

In this condition, the kidneys begin to actively excrete acetone, so a urine test will show its presence. In addition to the kidneys, ketone bodies are excreted through the lungs, which causes the appearance of a specific odor from the mouth.

This symptom requires immediate examination and medical attention, as it is a harbinger diabetic coma.

Liver diseases

Acetone in the blood and urine can appear in some liver diseases. This organ produces enzymes that break down substances toxic to the body, including those that neutralize ketone bodies.

If liver function is impaired, acetone may appear and, as a result, bad breath may appear.

Thyroid problems

A hyperthyroid crisis, a dangerous, sudden condition, can provoke the smell of acetone from the mouth. This is an extreme form of development, in which the production of iodine-containing hormones by the thyroid gland is increased. The characteristic acetone smell also comes from urine.

Other signs of a crisis are agitation, hallucinations, delirium, hand tremors, drop in blood pressure, muscle weakness, tachycardia, vomiting and fever.

Kidney diseases

The smell of acetone can occur with kidney pathologies:

• nephrosis;
• renal failure;
• kidney dystrophy.

Disturbances in the filtering system negatively affect protein metabolism in the body; its breakdown products are not completely eliminated and accumulate in the blood. The smell of acetone on breath also occurs with uric acid diathesis.

What to do if you have bad breath - treatment and medications

Since most often halitosis is only a symptom, the disease that caused it requires treatment. To do this, you need to undergo an examination by passing tests prescribed by your doctor. Depending on the cause, medication or surgery, For example:

• use of antibiotics or NSAIDs for inflammatory disease;
• removal of tonsils for tonsillitis;
• puncture of the nasal sinuses due to the accumulation of purulent contents in them;
• treatment of carious lesions;
• removal of a diseased tooth or inflamed pulp;
• hyperthyroidism therapy;
• treatment of increased stomach acidity or other pathologies of the digestive system.

Thorough oral hygiene helps reduce the intensity of the unpleasant odor - using a high-quality brush, dental floss, rinses and toothpastes with triclosan, carbamide peroxide, chlorhexidine, cetylpyridine.

You should not use rinses containing alcohol - they dry out the mucous membrane, reducing the volume of saliva produced.

Folk remedies for bad breath

• Mouth rinse warm water with essential oils - mint, sage, clove - at the rate of 2 drops per full glass of water. Swallowing the solution is strictly prohibited, and the oils must be of high quality.
• 10 minutes before meals, you can chew dried juniper berries, anise or fennel seeds.
• Tea with rose hips - 1 tbsp. l. 200-250 ml of boiling water, leave for 25-30 minutes.
• You can rinse your mouth with a decoction of sorrel and St. John's wort.
• For indigestion, sea buckthorn syrup, oil or juice are useful.
• For indigestion, tea with ginger and honey, a decoction of chamomile, wormwood or dill seeds, and flax seeds help.
• For low acidity, red and black currants, apples, viburnum berry juice, honey are useful, and for high acidity, carrot or potato juice, a mixture of aloe and honey, a decoction of mint and yarrow.

Any folk remedies cannot be used uncontrolled, and before using them it would be a good idea to consult a specialist.

Which doctor should I contact?

You can get rid of bad breath much faster if you do not self-medicate and seek help from a specialist. First, assess your condition and determine if there are other symptoms.

Toothache, bleeding or inflammation of the gums and other problems in the oral cavity are a reason to visit the dentist. Go to him if, apart from bad breath, there are no signs - perhaps you need to remove tartar or plaque accumulated on your teeth.

Sore throat, nasal congestion, wheezing, cough - with such symptoms, go to the otolaryngologist. If there is discomfort in the intestines, constipation or diarrhea, heartburn, stomach pain, visit a gastroenterologist.

If the dentist finds no problems with the teeth and gums, and there are no other complaints except bad breath, then you should go to the therapist - it is quite possible that the existing disease is asymptomatic.

The problem of bad breath is quite common and reaches 80-90% of the adult population, but only in 25% of cases bad smell from the mouth is persistent and its cause is the presence of chronic pathological process in the human body. Bad breath is usually caused by diseases of the digestive organs (stomach, liver, intestines, teeth and oral cavity). In most cases, it occurs due to the accumulation in a person’s mouth - on the tongue, around the teeth and between the teeth - of a large number of anaerobic bacteria.

This condition is also known as “halitosis” or “halitosis”, “ozostomia”, “stomatodysody”. The problem of bad breath is by no means insoluble. Methods for its treatment are usually very simple and effective - you just need to correctly recognize the main cause of the unpleasant odor.

Do you have bad breath?

Of course, under certain circumstances, each of us may experience bad breath, and we ourselves can often find out about this only by the reaction of the people around us. Determining whether you have bad breath can often be difficult, primarily because the mouth, the source of all these odors, is connected to the nose through an opening located at the back of the mouth, in the area soft palate. And since the nose “filters” odors that arise in the back of the mouth, it also filters this most unpleasant odor. That is, it is quite possible that you have this bad breath - but you yourself don’t know about it.

If even our own noses can't help us determine with certainty what our breath smells like, can we still know? One way is to get an opinion on this matter from one of your closest relatives. You can also make the same request to a close friend, or to your dentist during your next visit to him. If this question seems too personal to you and you are afraid to “entrust” it to adults, do not be embarrassed and ask your children about it. As we well know, it is through their mouths that the truth often speaks.

Is it possible to independently determine what your breath smells like?

Such methods are also known. For example, lick your wrist, let the saliva dry for about five seconds, and then smell the area. So how? That's pretty much what you smell like. Or, to be precise, this is what the front of your tongue smells like.

Now try to figure out what it smells like rear end your language. Take a spoon, turn it over, and scrape the farthest part of your tongue with it. (Don't be surprised if you start choking when you do this.) Look at the remaining substance on the spoon that you scraped off your tongue - it is usually thick and whitish. Now smell it. This is the smell of your breath (as opposed to the smell of the front of your tongue) that others are likely to smell.

The main cause of unpleasant odor

Now you know that in most cases the source of bad breath is white matter covering the back of the tongue. Or, to be more precise, the bacteria that live in this white substance.

There is another, also very common cause of unpleasant odor - bacteria that accumulate in other areas of the mouth.

What conditions or circumstances can cause or increase an unpleasant odor? Many of these factors are somehow related to:

Oral bacteria.
- Conditions that stimulate the growth of these bacteria.
- Poor cleaning of areas where bacteria accumulate.

Can food cause an unpleasant odor?

Some food products have a long-standing reputation for causing unpleasant odors, such as onions or garlic. When food is digested, the molecules that make it up are absorbed by our body and then removed from it through the bloodstream.

Some of these molecules, which have very characteristic and unpleasant odors, enter our lungs along with the bloodstream. They are removed from the lungs when you exhale - hence the unpleasant odor. Although this kind of unpleasant odor is a rather annoying problem, we will not discuss it in detail on these pages. The unpleasant odor caused by the consumption of certain foods usually disappears on its own after a day or two - as soon as the body eliminates all the “bad-smelling” molecules. And getting rid of such a smell is quite simple - you just need to exclude such foods from your diet or reduce their consumption to a minimum.

Does smoking cause bad odor?

You've probably met people who smoke heavily and whose breath has a specific smell. Although many factors influence the formation of the unpleasant odor associated with smoking, the main ones are nicotine, tar and other foul-smelling substances contained in tobacco smoke. These substances accumulate on the teeth and soft tissues of a smoker's mouth - gums, cheek tissue, tongue. And let's make a reservation again - we will not discuss this type of unpleasant odor in detail on these pages either. The only way To completely get rid of this smell - quit smoking (although if you improve your oral hygiene, this smell can be somewhat weakened). Note also that smoking itself dehydrates the tissues of the mouth. This weakens the moisturizing and disinfecting effect of saliva, which washes away bacteria and their metabolic products. Dry mouth is discussed in more detail below. It is known that smoking people Problems associated with periodontal disease (“gum disease”) are more common.

Periodontal diseases also occur due to bacterial activity. Gum disease and its connection to bad odor is discussed in more detail below.

Does xerostomia (dry mouth) contribute to bad breath?

Even if you don’t have any particular problems with unpleasant odor, you’ve probably noticed that in the morning when you just woke up, your breath is much less fresh. This happens because our mouth “dries out” at night - because during sleep our body produces less saliva. The result of this drying out is “morning breath”. A similar “drying effect” is often noticed by, for example, teachers or lawyers who have to talk for several hours - this also causes their mouths to dry out. Some people suffer from chronic dry mouth, a condition called xerostomia. It is even more difficult for them to solve problems with fresh breath. Moisture in our mouths helps cleanse. We constantly swallow saliva - and with each swallow, millions of bacteria are washed out of our mouth, as well as the food particles that these bacteria feed on. In addition, saliva dissolves and washes away the waste products of bacteria living in the mouth.

Saliva - special shape Mouth moisturizing liquid, a kind of natural mouth cleanser. Any moisture can have a cleansing and dissolving effect; saliva, in addition, contains special components that kill bacteria and neutralize their waste products. When your mouth is dry beneficial effect saliva is greatly reduced. Neutralization of bacteria slows down and conditions for their growth improve.

Chronic dry mouth - xerostomia - may also be side effect from taking certain medications. Xerostomia can be caused by antihistamines (allergy and cold medications), antidepressants, blood pressure medications, diuretics, tranquilizers, narcotic substances. Dry mouth can get worse as you age. Over time our salivary glands stop working with the same efficiency, and the composition of saliva changes. This leads to the fact that the cleansing properties of saliva weaken. People who suffer from xerostomia for a long time are more likely to develop periodontal disease (gum disease). Gum disease can also cause bad breath.

Can periodontal disease cause bad odor?

Periodontal disease, commonly referred to simply as “gum disease,” can also cause bad breath. Ask any dentist - the smell of gum disease is very specific, and experienced doctor can determine the presence of such a disease even before examining the patient.

Oral diseases are the second most common cause of bad breath (the first, as you remember, is the accumulation of bacteria).

More often they occur in people over 35 years of age, that is, than older man, those more likely that problems with fresh breath are caused by the condition of his gums. Periodontal disease - bacterial infection soft tissues surrounding the teeth. If such a disease is neglected, it can lead to serious damage to the bone into which our teeth are “inserted.” Often, as this disease progresses, gaps (dentists call them “periodontal pockets”) form between the teeth and gums, where large amounts of bacteria accumulate. These pockets can be so deep that they are difficult to clean properly; bacteria and their metabolic products that accumulate in them also cause an unpleasant odor.

Can a respiratory disease cause an unpleasant odor?

Of course it can. Diseases of the upper respiratory tract, allergies - all these diseases lead to the fact that mucous secretions begin to flow from the nasal cavity into the oral cavity, through the opening in the soft palate. The accumulation of these secretions in the mouth can also cause an unpleasant odor.

People with sinus disease often have a stuffy nose, forcing them to breathe through their mouth. Breathing through the mouth causes it to dry out, which, as we already know, also causes an unpleasant odor. For sinus disease, antihistamines (anti-allergic) medications are often taken, which also contribute to dry mouth.

What dental diseases can cause an unpleasant odor?

In most cases, the occurrence of unpleasant odor in the mouth is associated with various diseases of the oral cavity itself. Any active infection in the mouth, associated, for example, with a tooth abscess or partially erupted wisdom tooth, can cause an unpleasant odor. Extensive, untreated cavities on teeth can accumulate large amounts of bacteria and food debris, which also cause an unpleasant odor. if you have similar diseases, during the examination, your dentist will definitely identify them and offer effective methods treatment.

Can other untreated diseases cause bad odor?

Some diseases of the internal organs can also cause an unpleasant odor. If the patient has tried all the usual methods for eliminating an unpleasant odor in such cases, but they have led nowhere, then a visit to a therapist will not hurt. Your doctor, of course, knows which diseases are most likely in your case; but, for general information, bad breath can occur with diseases of the respiratory tract, liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal diseases.

Can dentures cause bad odor?

Dentures (full, partial, removable, etc.) can have a significant impact on the freshness of your breath. If you wear any dentures, there is a simple test you can do to see if your dentures are causing bad odor:

Remove your dentures and place them in a closed container, such as a plastic lunch box. Close it tightly and leave it like that for five minutes. Then open it sharply and immediately smell it. This is roughly what the people you talk to smell like from your mouth.

Although most cases of bad breath are caused by the buildup of bacteria on the tongue, on or around the teeth (periodontal disease), bacteria can also accumulate on the surface of dentures and cause bad breath.

What is actually the main cause of unpleasant odor?

In most cases, the occurrence of bad breath is associated with the condition of the oral cavity. Namely, an unpleasant odor is usually caused by bacteria living in it. Bacteria, like humans, consume food and excrete waste throughout their lives. The waste products of some types of bacteria are sulfur compounds, and they are the cause of the unpleasant odor. Remember what a rotten egg smells like? This smell is also caused by the formation of a sulfur compound in the egg - hydrogen sulfide. The characteristic smell of compost heaps or barnyards also owes its “fragrance” to the presence of a sulfur compound - methyl mercaptan. And both of these compounds are released by bacteria that live in our mouths. These substances have common name"volatile sulfur compounds" (VSC). The term "volatile" means that these substances evaporate quickly, even at normal temperatures. The “volatility” of these compounds explains their ability to quickly penetrate, so to speak, into the noses of the people around us. Although these substances mainly create bad breath, bacteria. living in the oral cavity, they also secrete other products that have very unpleasant aroma. Here are some of them:

Cadavrine is a substance that produces a characteristic cadaverous odor.
- Putrescine - forms a stench when meat rots.
- Skatole is the main component of the odor of human feces.

You will probably be quite surprised to learn that in an ordinary human mouth there can be such a “bouquet” of unpleasant odors - but this is so, and, unfortunately, there are no exceptions. Every person, to one degree or another, has these, so to speak, aromas in his breath. Fortunately, the human sense of smell does not detect these odors if their concentration in the breath is low. Only when it rises does that characteristic unpleasant odor form.

What types of bacteria cause bad odor?

Majority chemical compounds that cause an unpleasant odor (hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, cadavrine, putrescine, skatole) are secreted by anaerobic bacteria (their more accurate name is gram-negative anaerobes). The term "anaerobic" means that they live and reproduce best in places where there is no oxygen. Happening in our mouths constant struggle for the living space between bacteria that produce products that create an unpleasant odor, and other bacteria that do not. The freshness of our breath is determined, strictly speaking, by the degree of balance in the presence of both bacteria. Accumulation of plaque (the white film that forms on the tongue and teeth - at the gum line and below) can tip this balance in favor of odor-producing bacteria. Imagine - a layer of plaque only one or two tenths of a millimeter thick (that is, approximately banknote) no longer contains oxygen at all - that is, best place cannot be found for bacteria. Therefore, as plaque accumulates, it is inhabited by more and more bacteria that create an unpleasant odor - which means that each of our exhalations contains more and more compounds released by these bacteria.

What do anaerobic bacteria that produce an unpleasant odor feed on?

Most of the foul-smelling substances that cause bad breath are released by bacteria after consuming protein. That is, when we eat foods such as meat or fish, the bacteria living in our mouth also receive their share of food. And what they secrete after eating are those same compounds. which cause an unpleasant odor. Anaerobic bacteria will find proteins - their favorite food - in anything, even the cheeseburger you eat. In addition, in our mouths there is always “natural” protein food for them - for example, dead skin cells, or numerous protein components contained in saliva. If you do not regularly use a toothbrush and floss, a real feast for bacteria will form in your mouth - leftover food from today's breakfast, yesterday's dinner, the day before yesterday's lunch...

Which foods contain the most protein?

Meat, fish and seafood, eggs, dairy products (milk, cheeses and yoghurts) - all these products contain a lot of protein. Most people get about two-thirds of their protein needs from them. Other sources of protein are cereals and products made from them, nuts, leguminous plants (peas, beans and lentils). The ingredients found in many of our favorite desserts (like cakes and pies) make these delicious foods protein pantries.

Where do the bacteria that cause bad odor live?

In most cases, these bacteria accumulate on the tongue, but they have many other “habitats.”

Language

Remember the "experiment" we recommended you do at the beginning of this section. Although the odor produced in the front area of ​​our tongue may not be the most pleasant, it is usually not the main source of problems with fresh breath. The main “component” of the unpleasant odor is formed in the back of the tongue. Go to the mirror, stick out your tongue and look at it carefully. You will probably see a whitish coating on its surface. Closer to the back of the tongue, this coating becomes denser. The amount of bacteria that accumulates on the human tongue depends on the texture of its surface. People whose tongue surface has more folds, grooves and indentations will have more of this amount than people with a smoother tongue surface. In order to create a favorable environment for the life of bacteria in the white layer of the tongue - i.e. deprived of oxygen - this layer can have a thickness of only one or two tenths of a millimeter. This “oxygen-free” environment is also called “anaerobic”; This is where bacteria live and multiply best. Studies have shown that the number of bacteria on the human tongue directly depends on the thickness of the white layer covering it. And as you can guess, the freshness of your breath depends on the number of bacteria: the fewer there are, the fresher it is.

Periodontal sources

Bacteria that cause an unpleasant odor also feel quite comfortable in areas of the oral cavity other than the tongue. Perhaps you have noticed that while flossing your teeth, an unpleasant odor sometimes also appears. And perhaps this smell becomes more noticeable when you start brushing between your back teeth. In the spaces between the teeth, bacteria that create an unpleasant odor also find refuge. Dentists call these areas “periodontal” (“paro” means “about” and “dont” means “tooth”). Even in a more or less healthy mouth, bacteria can find an oxygen-deprived (anaerobic) environment - for example, under the gum line, around and between teeth. And in people suffering from periodontal disease (“gum disease”), the number of such anaerobic “corners” increases many times over. Periodontal disease often damages the bone that surrounds the teeth. This, in turn, leads to the formation of depressions between the teeth and gums (dentists call them “periodontal pockets”). These pockets are usually very difficult or impossible to clean, and they become an ideal anaerobic environment in which odor-causing bacteria live and thrive.

How to get rid of an unpleasant odor?

Since the main source of bad breath is foul-smelling bacterial secretions (volatile sulfur compounds), main way to get rid of them - clean the oral cavity so that:

Deprive bacteria of nutrients.
- Reduce the amount of bacteria already accumulated in the mouth.
- Reduce the anaerobic environment in which bacteria live and multiply.
- Prevent the formation of new breeding grounds for bacteria.

You can also use cleaners that reduce the activity of odor-causing volatile sulfur compounds.

How to deprive bacteria of nutrients?

As you remember, the main source of bad breath is the foul-smelling waste bacteria produce when digesting proteins. Therefore, people who eat a vegetarian diet (consisting mainly of fruits and vegetables) are less likely to have problems with fresh breath than those who consume a lot of protein foods, such as meat. In addition, it is very important to clean the oral cavity in a timely and correct manner - especially after eating, rich in proteins. After finishing breakfast, lunch or dinner, they remain in our mouths. tiny particles food that gets stuck between the teeth and also settles in a white coating on the back of the tongue. And since it is in these places that anaerobic bacteria accumulate, causing an unpleasant odor, then, without properly cleaning your mouth after eating, you will thereby provide them with a sufficient amount of nutrients for a long time.

To get rid of unpleasant odor, you need to brush your teeth and gums. The bacteria that produce products that cause bad breath also live in the plaque that accumulates on the teeth and gum line. In order to reduce this plaque, prevent its further accumulation and remove food debris that “lingers” in the mouth and serves as food for bacteria, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the teeth and gums with a toothbrush and dental floss. About dental floss Let us remind you once again. If you do not thoroughly and daily clean the spaces between your teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach, you will be unlikely to get rid of bad breath.

Diagnosis of the causes of bad breath

Particular attention must be paid to diagnostic methods. First of all, you need to inform your doctor about the presence of chronic diseases. It has been established that the occurrence of bad breath is significantly influenced by nutritional and hygienic factors, therefore patients are advised to refrain from eating, drinking, rinsing the mouth and smoking for at least two hours before diagnostic measures.

The first is a hedonic research method, carried out by a doctor who evaluates the quality and strength of the unpleasant odor, and gives a rating on the Rosenberg scale from 0 to 5 points. The main drawback of the method is subjectivity.

The next step is to measure the amount of sulfur compounds in the exhaled air using a special sulfide monitoring device “Halimeter”. Hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide account for 90% of all volatile sulfur compounds in the oral cavity, so measuring the concentration of these gases is the main way to determine the severity of halitosis.

The next stage is a microbiological study. The diagnostic stage is very important, since depending on the source of the unpleasant odor and the reasons that caused it, the treatment tactics will depend.

Visit your dentist

If, after all the measures taken, the bad breath does not disappear, call and make an appointment with your dentist, where you can not only discuss the problem in detail, but also carry out the necessary procedures to clean your mouth. This may be the best option because:

1) Not all people know how to use dental floss and dental floss most effectively. After examining your mouth, your doctor will teach you the necessary techniques.

2) Effective cleaning of teeth can be hindered by tartar built up on them. Your dentist will remove it.

3) If you have signs of periodontal disease (“gum disease”), your doctor will identify them and provide you with appropriate treatment. Periodontal disease can seriously damage your teeth and the surrounding bone. This creates deep “pockets” between the teeth and gums in which bacteria accumulate, so deep that they are difficult or even impossible to clean.

4) During the examination, your doctor will identify - if any - other untreated diseases that may increase the unpleasant odor.

5) If your doctor seems unlikely that these diseases are the cause of the unpleasant odor, he will suggest that you make an appointment with a therapist and will provide appropriate explanations.

You need to clean your tongue thoroughly

Since most people tend to ignore this procedure, try making it part of your daily care behind the oral cavity. Very often the use of this one method - without additional measures- helps eliminate unpleasant odors. Think back again to the “experiment” we recommended you do at the beginning of this section. Then we found that the front of the tongue has a less unpleasant odor than the back. This happens because the front area of ​​the tongue constantly cleans itself - and therefore fewer anaerobic bacteria accumulate on it. As the tongue moves, its front part constantly rubs against the hard palate - this is how cleansing occurs. preventing the accumulation of bacteria. Unlike the front, the back of the tongue during its movement comes into contact only with the soft palate. In this case, effective cleaning is not possible. Therefore, odor-causing bacteria accumulate mainly on the back of the tongue, which is why it is this area that needs periodic cleaning.

How to properly clean your tongue? To cleanse posterior region tongue, there are several methods, but they all have the same goal - to remove bacteria and food debris that accumulate in this area. When cleaning your tongue - no matter what method you use - you should try to reach as far as possible to clean as much of its surface area as possible. If you start choking, don't be surprised. This natural reaction, but over time this reflex should weaken.

How to clean your tongue using a toothbrush or a special brush.

You can use a toothbrush or a special tongue brush to clean the surface of your tongue. Start brushing with the furthest areas you can reach, then gradually move the brush strokes (directed anteriorly) towards the front of the tongue. The movements should be made with some pressure on the surface of the tongue - but, of course, not too strong so as not to cause irritation. To clean your tongue more effectively, you can use toothpaste, since it contains the same ingredients as mouth cleansers. You can learn more about this on the page dedicated to oral cleaners. Pastes that neutralize volatile sulfur compounds. Since VSCs are what cause bad odor, toothpastes containing neutralizing VSCs - such as chlorine dioxide or zinc - improve the freshness of your breath.

Pastes having antibacterial properties

If the toothpaste you use contains antibacterial agents - such as chlorine dioxide or cetylpyridone chloride - you can both "expel" and destroy anaerobic bacteria when cleaning your tongue.

Although brushing your tongue with a toothbrush can provide quite satisfactory results, many people prefer to use a special tongue scraping spoon, believing this method is more effective. Some patients claim that they choke less when scraping their tongue with a spoon than when cleaning it with a toothbrush or special brush. In order to test your reaction to this method, you can conduct a simple experiment. Take a regular spoon from the kitchen (better a teaspoon than a table spoon), turn it over and try to scrape your tongue with it. To do this, touch the back of your tongue with a spoon, press it lightly and pull it forward. Do this carefully, but without effort. Don't scrub too hard as this may irritate the surface of your tongue. If scraping as a method is not objectionable to you, buy a special spoon designed for this purpose at the pharmacy. It is quite possible that it will clean the tongue more effectively than a teaspoon.

What types of liquid mouth cleaners can help get rid of bad breath?

Liquid mouth rinses, when used along with regular and effective tongue cleaning, brushing and flossing, can also help a lot in getting rid of bad odor. You should not just rely on rinse aids and neglect the other measures listed. The ability of a liquid mouthwash to effectively combat bad breath is associated with some of its properties, namely:

A) Antibacterial properties. If the mouthwash has the ability to kill bacteria, it can help reduce the amount of anaerobic bacteria in your mouth. Since it is these bacteria that emit volatile sulfur compounds, which in turn form bad breath, the fewer of these bacteria there are in the mouth, the better.

C) The ability to neutralize volatile sulfur compounds. Rinse aids contain components that have the ability to neutralize volatile sulfur compounds and the substances that form them. As you remember, volatile sulfur compounds are foul-smelling substances that create an unpleasant odor. If a purifier is able to reduce their content in your breath, then it will naturally be fresher.

Listed below are some substances that have the ability to effectively neutralize unpleasant odors. These substances are usually included in mouthwashes sold in pharmacies.

A) Rinse aids containing chlorine dioxide or sodium chlorite (Antibacterial / Neutralizes volatile sulfur compounds)
Many dentists believe that rinses containing chlorine dioxide or its constituent sodium chlorite play a critical role in neutralizing bad breath. Research data suggests that chlorine dioxide has a dual effect:

Chlorine dioxide is an oxidizing substance (meaning it releases oxygen). Since most odor-causing bacteria are anaerobic (that is, they prefer to live in places where there is no oxygen), exposure to an oxidizing agent helps reduce their numbers, which consequently reduces the unpleasant odor.

Chlorine dioxide also affects the level of volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth. It neutralizes those compounds that bacteria have already released, and at the same time destroys those substances from which these compounds are subsequently formed. The result is that the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth decreases sharply, and the breath, of course, becomes cleaner.

B) Rinse aids containing zinc (Neutralizes volatile sulfur compounds)
Research has shown that rinse aids containing zinc ions can also reduce the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds. It is believed that this is due to the ability of zinc ions to destroy those substances from which bacteria “make” sulfur compounds.

B) “Antiseptic” type rinses (Antibacterial)
"Antiseptic" cleaners (such as Listerine and its equivalents) are also considered suitable odor neutralizers. The effectiveness of these products is related to their ability to kill bacteria that produce volatile sulfur compounds. However, “antiseptic” rinses themselves cannot destroy these compounds. Many dentists believe that “antiseptic” rinses are not the best the best choice. These claims are also due to the fact that “antiseptic” mouthwashes have a high alcohol content (often around 25 percent). Alcohol is a strong desiccant (dehydrating agent), and therefore dries out soft fabrics mouth And if you remember our section on xerostomia, dry mouth can be one of the causes of unpleasant odor.

D) Rinse aids containing cetylpyridone chloride (Antibacterial)
Cetylpyridinium chloride is a component that is sometimes included in liquid mouthwashes. Having an antibacterial effect, it helps reduce the number of anaerobic bacteria.

Do mint tablets, lozenges, drops, sprays and chewing gum help get rid of unpleasant odor?

Like liquid rinses, mints, lozenges, drops, sprays, chewing gum and so on. in themselves are not the most effective means eliminating unpleasant odors. However, when used in conjunction with careful and regular tongue cleaning, brushing and flossing, these products can have very positive effects - especially if they contain substances (such as chlorine dioxide, sodium chlorite and zinc) that can neutralize volatile sulfur compounds. In addition, mints, lozenges, and chewing gum stimulate saliva production. And we already know that saliva cleanses the oral cavity of bacteria and their secretions, which means it helps get rid of unpleasant odor.

How to use liquid mouthwash to achieve the greatest effect?

Bacteria that create an unpleasant odor live both on the surface and in the depths of the white plaque that accumulates on and around the teeth, gums, tongue. An antibacterial rinse by itself cannot penetrate into the depths of this plaque, and therefore, before using such a cleaner, it is better to remove as much plaque as possible using your usual methods - scraping the tongue, brushing and flossing. Rinsing your mouth with mouthwash after these procedures will help remove any remaining bacteria. You don’t just need to put the mouthwash in your mouth, but rinse it properly. Before rinsing, say “a-a-a” - this will allow you to stick out your tongue so that the rinse gets to the back of it, where bacteria accumulate. After rinsing, the rinse aid should be immediately spit out. This is why children should not be allowed to use mouthwash - they may accidentally swallow it.

How to clean dentures

If your dentist has installed dentures in your mouth, he or she must explain to you how to properly clean them. Because bacteria accumulates on your dentures just as it does on your natural teeth, tongue, and gums, your doctor will advise you to clean your dentures with a regular toothbrush or a special brush, both the outside and inside of them. After cleaning the dentures, they need to be placed in a container with an antiseptic liquid (your dentist will also advise you which one).

What measures can you take on your own to get rid of an unpleasant odor?

Drink more water
Oddly enough, drinking plenty of water throughout the day will also help you reduce bad odor. If there is a lack of water, your body will try to retain it, which will reduce the production of saliva, and it will be less effective at dissolving and washing away bacteria and their secretions, which create an unpleasant odor. Drinking enough water every day is especially important for those suffering from xerostomia (chronic dry mouth).

Rinse your mouth with water
Rinsing your mouth with plain water will also help relieve bad odor for a short period of time. Rinsing also dissolves and washes away bacterial secretions that harm the freshness of your breath.

Stimulate saliva production
This will also help you reduce bad odor. You remember that saliva cleanses the mouth, dissolving and washing away bacteria and their secretions. The simplest way stimulate saliva production - chew something. When you chew—anything—your body thinks you're eating food, so it signals it to increase saliva production. (Saliva is a very important component in digesting food). You can, for example, chew clove seeds, dill, mint or parsley. Peppermint tablets, chewing gum and mint candies help salivation. But: if you prefer these products, make sure they do not contain sugar. Sugar promotes the growth of bacteria that can cause tooth decay.

Maintain your oral hygiene especially carefully after consuming protein foods.
Anaerobic bacteria produce volatile sulfur compounds - the cause of unpleasant odors - as a result of consuming proteins. After you eat meat, fish or any other protein-rich food, thoroughly clean your mouth so that the smallest particles of protein food do not serve as a breeding ground for anaerobic bacteria.

Treatment of helminthiases helps eliminate bad breath in children
Scientists note that parents often notice bad breath in children with intestinal helminthiases (especially enterobiasis), which goes away after the helminths are eradicated. Scientists suggest that the cause of the unpleasant odor may be stagnation of intestinal contents due to the presence of worms.

What diseases cause bad breath?

• Diseases of the teeth and gums (caries) Pathology of the respiratory system (any infectious and inflammatory diseases, tumors)
• Trimethylaminuria and lactase deficiency

Taking many medications can also have a detrimental effect on the freshness of your breath.

Treatment for bad breath

First of all, you should contact your dentist for diagnosis and treatment. The doctor will determine whether there is caries or gum disease, carry out sanitation (disinfection) of the oral cavity, and remove tartar if present. As a rule, after this the smell ceases to bother most patients.

If the dentist concludes that the odor does not originate in the oral cavity, but in the deeper structures of the body, he will refer you to a therapist.

The therapist will prescribe an examination to determine the cause of your concerns and will treat the disease that he identifies. Many will be disappointed that they didn't find the name of a bad breath pill here, but smart people will realize that the treatment will vary depending on your personal cause of the bad breath. A whole range of drugs may be needed, including antibiotics, which, as is known, cannot be used without identifying the pathogenic microorganism, and this can only be done through medical tests.

Which doctors should you contact if you have bad breath?

• Dentist
• Gastroenterologist
• Therapist (general practitioner)

There are a number of causes of bad breath (halitosis):

• use of poor quality hygiene products. Toothbrush must be as maneuverable as possible, have medium hardness and a movable head that can penetrate hard-to-reach places;
• Irregular brushing of teeth. You need to take care of your oral cavity at least 2 times a day, because cariogenic bacteria constantly produce fetid hydrogen sulfide, which causes bad breath;
• smoking. Bad breath in smokers occurs due to prolonged smoking and chronic dental diseases;
• caries. Stuck in carious cavities rotted food fragments increase the symptoms of bad breath;
• some diseases. Often the stench appears due to diseases of the digestive system (for example, gastritis);
• wrong diet. Eating large amounts of fast food and foods rich in simple carbohydrates, carbonated drinks can cause bad breath;
• other reasons.

Who is at risk?

People who have:

1. endocrine disorders;
2. excess body weight;
3. hormonal disorders;
4. problems with the functioning of the salivary glands;
5. tendency to form gas (flatulence);
6. immunodeficiency disorders;
7. inflammatory and infectious processes in the oral cavity;
8. disturbances of intestinal microflora.

How to get tested for halitosis?

Sometimes it is difficult to find out what causes bad breath without using instrumental and laboratory diagnostic methods. Therefore, if you suffer from halitosis, the symptoms of which do not improve with increased hygiene measures, you should undergo comprehensive examination, visit a gastroenterologist, nutritionist, dental hygienist, take blood and urine tests.

At the dentist's office, you can undergo a breath test and assess the degree of development of halitosis. A specialist will accurately determine whether you have this disease or whether you suffer from halitophobia. The air exhaled through the nose has an odor that comes from palatine tonsils and nasal cavity. There is no odor emanating from the oral cavity. Sometimes nasal breathing is unpleasant (with sinusitis, adenoids, polyps). Therefore, to determine the exact location of the source of the stench, a specialist will evaluate the nasal, pulmonary and oral air separately.

Eliminating bad breath

Get rid of bad breath (halitosis) by changing your approach to nutrition and daily hygiene:

Use quality toothpastes and gels well-known manufacturers, which can effectively remove microbial plaque, help prevent caries, as well as eliminate bad breath.

Use ultrasonic toothbrushes because their bristles clean out food debris even from hard-to-reach places.

Use floss to clean the interdental spaces from pieces of food that feed bacteria, creating a stale odor in the mouth.

Carry out a regular mouth rinse procedure. Use mouthwashes such as LISTERINE®. They include a complex essential oils, which can remove bad breath by acting directly on the cause of its occurrence - pathogenic microorganisms. The components in LISTERINE® reduce the formation of microbial plaque on the surface of teeth, destroying up to 99.9% of bacteria 1 that cause halitosis, as well as diseases of the gums and teeth. When used correctly, LISTERINE® rinses can eliminate bad smell for 24 hours!

Food. In some cases, certain foods can help reduce unpleasant odors, such as apples, carrots, broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts and other vegetables.

As you can see, the causes of bad breath are varied. It can sometimes be difficult to determine why bad breath occurs in people who visit the dentist regularly, lead a healthy lifestyle, and take good care of their teeth. In each specific case, individual diagnosis and competent treatment are necessary.

1 In vitro studies using model of oral biofilms have shown that LISTERINE® can reduce the viability of plaque biofilm by up to 99% compared to a water control. Reduces up to 99% of plaque (or plaque forming) bacteria in lab tests. Internal reports for studies by Minoli G., October 3, 2008 (mixed species biofilm flow through assay performed from Sept. 30, 2008 through Oct. 3, 2008) and by Ilg D et al, Febriary 20, 2009 (mixed species biofilm flow through assay performed from February 16, 2009 to February 20, 2009).

Osostomia, or pathological stomatodysonia, is a problem that a person has encountered at least once in his life. The presence of signs of osostomy is not always a signal for concern. If they are slightly perceptible or appear extremely rarely, the presence of pseudohalitosis can be assumed. This phenomenon is common among children aged two to five years and adolescents, especially during puberty. But it also happens: there is no smell, and not only those around you, but also the dentist talk about absolutely healthy teeth and fresh breath, but the person is sure of the opposite. Perhaps it's all about halitophobia - a mental disorder that is treated exclusively by a psychotherapist. Most reliable way check if there is a smell in in this case, is to use regular cotton thread, which after cleaning should be put aside for a minute and then brought to your nose.

Unpleasant or putrid odor from the mouth: causes

Before starting treatment, it is important to understand how often the smell appears, what it is associated with, whether it is constantly present, or whether this phenomenon is temporary. If the smell appears sporadically, certain foods may be the cause of bad breath.

Typically this may include eating onions, garlic, hot sauces or fatty foods. In this case, the appearance of a putrid odor can be completely eliminated by simply brushing your teeth regularly. If the causes of putrefaction in adults are a constant phenomenon and not associated with eating exotic foods, you should be wary.

5 factors of osostomy

Lack of or improper care of teeth and oral cavity, that is, irregular brushing of teeth, can cause the development of ozostomia. Leftover food products - favorable environment for the reproduction of putrefactive microorganisms and bacteria, the vital products of which are often the cause of ozostomia. Most often, teenagers and young children face this problem.

One of the most important factors of osostomy may be the presence of viral or infectious diseases. For example: tonsillitis, sinusitis or purulent sinusitis, inflammation of the mucous membrane, ulcer, dysbacteriosis, food poisoning, caries, tartar, damage to tooth enamel.

Poor or irregular nutrition, consumption of harmful, poorly digestible foods that are difficult to digest, disruption of intestinal function, and digestive tract, overeating, irregular bowel movements, and chronic constipation.

Bad habits, such as smoking, cause damage to the oral mucosa, increased or pathologically decreased salivation, accompanied by dryness, the appearance of ulcers, microcracks, and destruction of tooth enamel. This, in turn, leads to the appearance various diseases and inflammation of the oral cavity. In this case, brushing and caring for your teeth will have no effect.

If appeared putrid smell from the mouth, the reasons may not only be due to improper brushing of teeth or smoking, it may be a signal of a more serious disease, such as liver failure.

Self-diagnosis

It is impossible to independently identify the causes of osostomy; this can only be done by a medical professional after a series of studies. In most cases, you can eliminate the smell on your own, but not for long, since it is not an independent phenomenon, but a symptom of a disease. Failure to see a doctor in a timely manner can cause the appearance of new, more serious diseases, especially if the prerequisites for the appearance of the odor were diseases of the digestive tract, intestines or liver. If you find yourself with ozostomia (halitosis), it is very important to understand what could be causing the putrid odor from your mouth.

The causes and symptoms of diseases accompanied by halitosis can be divided into several categories based on the type of odor.

Alternative medicine and naturopathy

What to do if there is a putrid odor from your mouth? Only a doctor can identify the causes of this anomaly. However, reduce discomfort, leading not only to a change in the taste of food, but also to a limitation of communication, can be done as follows:

• Chew coffee beans for three or four minutes or eat one-fourth teaspoon of instant granulated coffee;
• Triclosan or Chlorhexidine will help eliminate a problem such as ozostomia caused by anaerobic bacteria for five to ten hours;
• Regular use of rinses, dental gels and mint toothpastes, as well as cleaning the tongue plate with a special brush will help get rid of the odor for two to three hours in about eighty percent of cases;
• decoctions of chamomile, dill, oak bark, yarrow and propolis, when rinsed daily, help reduce unpleasant odors;
• Chewing gum and refreshing sprays, according to dentists, have a refreshing effect that can eliminate the smell, but their effect is very fleeting and goes away in ten to fifteen minutes.

Six types of halitosis

First view. The taste of rotten eggs and the smell of hydrogen sulfide may indicate a digestive disorder. Another sign of this disease may cause bloating, painful sensations, white coating on the plate of the tongue. If you notice these symptoms, you should consult a doctor, since the cause of halitosis or ozostomia may be gastritis or a stomach ulcer.

Second view. Sour taste and the smell after eating indicates the appearance of gastritis and requires immediate contact with a gastroenterologist.

Third type. A bitter taste in the mouth, regardless of diet and meal time. It is a sign of dysfunction of the gallbladder and liver. In this case, if a putrid odor appears from the mouth, only a specialist can determine the reasons that caused the disturbance in the liver, especially if the odor is accompanied by pain in the side.

Fourth type. Taste of sugar and smell of acetone. One of the possible phenomena in diabetes. In most cases, it is painless and can only be detected in later stages along with other pathologies. Timely appeal Seeing a doctor if you notice stomatodysonia with a taste reminiscent of acetone can save you from a serious illness.

Fifth view. For diseases genitourinary system, as well as cystitis, polyneuritis, stones or inflammation in urethra It is possible that a specific taste and smell of ammonia may appear, which does not disappear after eating or hygiene procedures.

Sixth type. If after a medical examination no pathologies were identified, then perhaps the whole issue is due to improper brushing of the teeth and tongue.

Dental diseases

Let's look at putrid breath, causes and treatment in dentistry further. Bleeding gums, plaque on the tongue and teeth, and the absence of a filling or part of a tooth can contribute to the appearance of ozostomia. You should not hope that the problem will disappear on its own, since it is only a sign of a more serious disease that requires treatment. First of all, you need to make an appointment with a dentist.

The first step in this case should be to carry out following procedures: initial examination of the oral cavity and assessment of the condition of teeth and tooth enamel, inflammation of the gums, the presence of tartar, odor testing and identification of its source. After examination and diagnosis, the doctor will identify the pathology that is causing the putrid odor from the mouth. The causes and methods of treatment will be described below.

Treatment

Basically, treatment consists of removing or filling the damaged tooth, as well as prescribing products that are optimally suited for high-quality and safe oral care. If during the diagnosis the doctor did not identify signs of dental pathologies or disorders and the current state of the oral cavity could not provoke the appearance of ozostomia, then you should contact a therapist, who, after necessary procedures and tests, will issue a referral to an appointment with a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist or otolaryngologist. In addition, people suffering from chronic diseases may also experience an unpleasant, slightly noticeable odor during exacerbations. If the smell appears after a sore throat, flu or ARVI, carry out medical examination inappropriate. In this case, you should consult a doctor and take antiviral drugs as prescribed.

Putrid breath: causes and diagnosis

When you have a consultation with a dentist, you need to describe the problem as accurately as possible: talk about exactly how and how long ago the symptoms appeared, whether they were accompanied by food intake, or went away after brushing your teeth or rinsing.

Tell us if white was present on your gums, cheeks or palate, if you were treated with antibiotics, hormonal pills and so on.

Halitosis and ulcer

If the problem persists after dental treatment, it may be due to a more serious condition. Putrid odor from the mouth due to an ulcer may have the following causes: exacerbation of the disease, increased acidity, nausea, vomiting, body temperature above 37 degrees, heaviness in the stomach, pain in the lower abdomen, as well as smoking and alcohol intoxication. All this can become a sign of ozostomia against the background of a local defect in the mucous membrane of the stomach or intestines.

Bad breath in children and adolescents

If you notice a putrid odor from your child’s mouth, the causes may be different. Before you worry, you need to identify the duration and frequency of the unpleasant odor.

Temporary factor - usually this kind of smell appears when:

• eating spicy food;
• non-compliance;
• viral disease;
• caries;
• runny nose or sinusitis;
• using nasal sprays.

A constant factor indicates the presence of a serious disease that changes the microflora of the body:

• thrush of the soft palate caused by yeast-like bacteria;
• chronic sinusitis or sinusitis;
• stagnation feces, disturbances in digestion;
• chronic hyperglycemia syndrome;
• loss of baby teeth;
• dysbacteriosis;
• decrease or increase in salivation caused by taking antibiotics.

Diagnosis of halitosis in children

All of the above factors can be a symptom of a serious disease and cause putrefactive causes, diagnosis of the disease can be as follows:

Bad breath is an unpleasant phenomenon. Probably everyone, at least once in their life, has felt when talking with an interlocutor that they don’t smell very pleasant, and the point here is far from being that the person neglects elementary rules hygiene. Smell is different from smell: it’s one thing if your breath smells, for example, after a hearty lunch with garlic, and quite another thing if there’s a smell that arises randomly. Anyone who has been told at least once that their breath smells will forever remember this feeling of embarrassment and shame. Therefore, let's try to figure out where this smell comes from, how to deal with it and how to avoid its appearance.

Most often, the cause of unpleasant odor is in the oral cavity itself. The simplest case is that the teeth and tongue are not brushed often or thoroughly. Food debris is decomposed by bacteria that constantly live between the teeth, at the edge of the gums and on the tongue, and some of the products of this decomposition give an undesirable aroma to the breath. By the same mechanism, odor appears during caries and gum diseases, such as gingivitis, periodontitis and periodontal disease. Tartar and plaque on teeth that contain large amounts of bacteria smell bad. Odor can also come from insufficiently clean removable dentures.

Bad breath also occurs with dry mouth - xerostomia, caused by diseases of the salivary glands, taking certain medications, and even long breathing through the mouth (for example, with adenoids). With xerostomia, saliva does not sufficiently wash the oral cavity, which causes the same putrefactive processes.

What if your teeth, gums and tongue are healthy and cleaned to a shine, but there is still a smell? Then you need to remember what you ate shortly before its appearance. Because onions, garlic and certain types of cheese, when digested, release sulfur compounds that are absorbed into the blood and removed from the body through the lungs - that's the smell. Well, the fact that smoking and alcohol also do not contribute to pleasant breath is a common truth.

Another common cause of halitosis is respiratory diseases. Inflammatory processes in the nose (rhinitis, sinusitis), sore tonsils(tonsillitis), bronchitis, bronchiectasis, as well as active form tuberculosis, abscess and malignant neoplasms lungs are accompanied by tissue destruction. Because of this, the exhaled air will have an unpleasant smell of pus.

The gastrointestinal tract can also be a source of odor. For gastritis and gastric ulcer, as well as for diseases of the pancreas and bile ducts the digestion of food and its movement through the gastrointestinal tract are disrupted. And poorly digested food, which is also stale, does not at all aromatize the breath. At the same time, a person is often bothered by a coated tongue and a sour or bitter taste in the mouth.

Specific odor from the mouth in some cases chronic diseases may indicate the development of dangerous complications. Thus, the characteristic putrid odor in liver diseases means that the liver cells have ceased to cope with the neutralization of toxic products from the intestines. The smell of ammonia indicates serious kidney failure, and the smell of acetone indicates diabetes mellitus– about the threat of diabetic coma. By the way, fans of strict diets can also develop bad breath - due to too infrequent or monotonous nutrition.

A toothbrush is not a panacea

Most mints, sprays, and mouthwashes do little to eliminate bad breath. They simply block the smell, for no more than 1-2 hours, and fight not the cause, but the effect. Imagine that a bag of garbage has been sprayed with air freshener on top. Do you really expect your garbage to smell fresh and pleasant? The same thing happens when we use various aerosols to eliminate bad breath.

To truly get rid of it, you need hygiene products to remove the sulfur components themselves, rather than overpowering them with their own odor. Recently, a new line of such products has appeared in the United States based on chlorine dioxide, which attacks the smelly sulfur compounds at the molecular level, and makes them safe.

Cleansing your mouth from harmful microorganisms is your daily job. Almost all people simply brush their teeth and neglect two other types of oral hygiene: flossing and tongue cleaning.

Dental floss will help

This is a very important, and at the same time simple action that really helps to avoid bad breath. When brushing only with a brush, about 40% of the tooth surfaces are left uncovered. Imagine washing only 60% of your body, leaving the remaining 40% dirty, day after day.

Sooner or later people will notice! The same thing happens in our mouth, when bacteria multiply in the interdental spaces with complete impunity and produce foul-smelling substances.

Dentists recommend using dental floss once a day. Try to choose floss that glides easily between your teeth and doesn’t get stuck. If you are too lazy to use the threads yourself, transfer this responsibility to a special electrical device called a flosser.

Cleaning your tongue

Brushing and flossing remove bacterial “stinker factories” from teeth and gums, but these uninvited guests have found a perfect place to hide: the tongue. That's right, our language is replete with millions pests, each of which produces its own portion of stench. The tongue is like a thick plush carpet - a DIRTY plush carpet with bacteria crawling on it. Clinical researches showed that to truly get fresh breath, you need to clean your tongue.

Are you preparing for the birth of your baby? Don't forget to carefully consider the list of everything you need. One of the most important acquisitions in the first years of life is a stroller: without this attribute it is impossible to imagine a single outing. and not regret the wasted money?

Tongue cleaners gently and quickly remove bacteria and their results. Think of a tongue scraper as a vacuum cleaner for your mouth. Just 30 seconds twice a day - and you are guaranteed fresh breath. Tongue cleansing was the most effective procedure for 300 years, and was used different peoples Worldwide. This simple action is still in vogue simply because it really works. The American Dental Association also recommends daily tongue brushing to maintain better oral hygiene.

Many people are shocked when they use a tongue scraper for the first time because they see the terrible amount of bacteria removed. Previously, they had not even imagined their harmful neighbors.

But fresh breath isn't the biggest benefit of cleaning your tongue. A dirty tongue is the launching pad from which serious health problems begin. Long-accumulating bacteria that are not removed over a long period of time become dangerous and toxic. Toxins cause inflammation and damage to gum tissue. This disease is called periodontitis, and can lead to deep gum pockets and even tooth loss. Bacteria and their toxins not only attack gum tissue, but some types of bacteria can get into the throat and cause strep throat.

In addition to all of the above, there is one more aspect that is affected by dirty language. This is food.
Try to smell the spring scent of flowers with a clogged nose, look around through dirty sunglasses, or listen to birdsong through earplugs. All this happens when we eat food and our tongue is as dirty as a garbage can. How can we experience the whole gamut of taste if the taste buds of the tongue are covered with an impenetrable layer of bacteria? There is only one solution left - a simple daily cleaning of the tongue, and you will be able to enjoy the true taste and aroma of food.

How to tell if you have bad breath

1. The first way is by the reaction of others. If the other person moves to the side when talking at close range, something may be wrong. Although, perhaps he suffers from some kind of phobia or you simply belong to different castes.
2. Second way. Bring your cupped hands close to your mouth, exhale sharply and immediately smell the exhaled air. Did you make it? Don't like it very much? Try calling a technician for help.
3. Third way. Using an odor detector. The device is sold in a network of online stores and measures the freshness of breath on a 5-point scale from Kiss Me (“kiss me”) to Never (“no way”). What he measures there is not known for certain, so move on to the fourth, most reliable method.
4. However, we could have started right away with it. Tear off a piece of dental floss or regular fine cotton/silk floss and, using both hands to stretch it, gently make a few brushing strokes between your teeth. Now smell the thread... This is the smell that spreads from your mouth!

Express measures to get rid of odor

Suppose an important meeting or a love date is about to start any minute. It is clear that in such a situation there is not enough time to thoroughly get rid of the smell, but there is still a way out.

What can you do right away?

Drink water and rinse your mouth. Use a mouth freshener. The oral cavity should be constantly moist. Saliva cleanses your mouth and has natural antibacterial properties. The most foul-smelling microbes multiply faster in a dry mouth. Run your tongue over your teeth from time to time - this also helps get rid of the unpleasant odor.

Chew an apple or a few sprigs of parsley, dill, mint, and clove seeds. Helps strong tea, it contains natural bactericidal agents.
Chewing gum is a good refresher. She not only has pleasant aroma, but also stimulate the production of saliva. Peppermint tablets and mint candies, preferably without sugar, promote salivation. Sugar increases the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Diseases that cause bad breath

The immediate cause of bad breath is the proliferation of anaerobic bacteria, which during their life processes produce various sulfur-containing compounds (they have a foul odor). Normally, normal oral flora (microorganisms living in saliva) prevents their proliferation. An imbalance occurs in the following pathologies:

• diseases of the oral cavity, teeth and gums (caries, periodontal disease), low-quality dentures and orthodontic structures;
• ARVI, acute infections respiratory tract (eg influenza);
• angina;
• chronic tonsillitis;
• chronic inflammatory diseases of the nose ( chronic rhinitis), paranasal sinuses ( chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps), nasopharynx (adenoids - pathologically enlarged pharyngeal tonsil, adenoiditis). These conditions can cause bad breath both due to the direct spread of infection to the oral cavity and throat, and due to frequent mouth breathing (as a result, dry mucous membranes occur, the protective properties of saliva are disrupted, which leads to the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms );
• drainage of mucus from the nasopharynx (postnasal drip);
• chronic diseases of the bronchi and lungs (chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis);
• digestive disorders, diseases gastrointestinal tract(gastritis, stomach ulcer, GERD, intestinal dysbiosis);
• diseases of the liver and pancreas;
• diabetes mellitus (smell of acetone from the mouth);
• chronic renal failure severe (smell of ammonia from the mouth);
• oncological diseases, including tumors of the throat, larynx, nose, nasopharynx;
• helminthiasis

Bad breath can be caused by:

• improper oral hygiene;
• dry mouth;
• dry indoor air;
• thick saliva;
• voice loads;
• protein-rich diet (dairy products, meat, legumes);
• alcohol;
• taking certain medications that cause dry mouth (for example, antihistamines, antidepressants);
• alcohol-containing mouth rinses (dry the mucous membrane).

Morning bad breath refers to physiological halitosis and is associated with the fact that during sleep the production of saliva decreases, as a result of which anaerobic bacteria multiply at the root of the tongue overnight. If the problem is resolved hygiene procedures and does not renew during the day, this is not considered a pathology.

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