When talking about bad breath, professionals use the term halitosis to refer to bad breath that is persistent and does not improve after brushing or flossing. It is not related to the food you just ate, and it is not related to the way your breath smells in the morning. While those are good examples of bad breath, they are not halitosis in the diagnostic sense. You need to understand not just what halitosis is, but what is causing it, so you are able to make the proper changes in order to improve it.
Most halitosis originates from the mouth because your mouth is home to a large number and variety of bacteria. Not all bacteria are bad, and some varieties help you digest your food and help your mouth function properly. As this bacterium breaks down proteins, sulfur-like compounds are released. If you are trying to stop your bad breath, then you need to effectively remove the bacteria from all the difficult-to-clean areas of your mouth, like the spaces between your teeth, the area at the base of your teeth at the gum line, and the top surface of the tongue.
The tongue is a common source of bad breath because it has such a large surface area in your mouth. Your tongue’s surface is rough, and bacteria and debris can become trapped in it. So when your teeth are free from plaque, and you do not have any gum disease, but you still have halitosis, you may want to invest more time and effort into cleaning your tongue.
If you do not have an adequate amount of saliva and suffer from dry mouth, or xerostomia, you can suffer from persistent bad breath. Saliva helps wash away excess bacteria, and it neutralizes bacteria-produced acids. Dry mouth allows for bacterial growth and bad breath to persist. You may experience xerostomia as a result of medications, breathing through your mouth, caffeine consumption, tobacco smoking, or diseases.
Another source of halitosis is unhealthy gums. When bacteria are not removed from teeth and become plaque, the plaque causes gum inflammation. The gums pull away from the teeth, creating pockets where bacteria can grow. You are not able to remove the bacteria from the gum pockets with your toothbrush alone, so your bad breath might be coming from your gum disease. Gum disease does not have many symptoms in its early stages, so paying attention to your persistent bad breath might help you prevent gum tissue or bone tissue loss from untreated gum disease.
There are a variety of conditions impacting non-oral regions, such as the throat, stomach, lungs, liver, and kidneys, that can affect breath odor. Halitosis cases like that respond to brushing for only a short time after brushing, but the odor returns quickly. You should notice other symptoms if you have one of these conditions, such as a sore throat, bad taste, hoarseness, cough, or upset stomach.
If you have more questions about bad breath or how addressing it could help you achieve better dental health, make an appointment with the dentist to see your treatment options for bad breath.