Bad Breath
Almost everyone has experienced the unpleasant situation of having a bad breath at least once.
Bad breath is medically known as halitosis. The cause in 87 % of cases originates from the mouth, whereas 5 % arise from the nose-throat region and 5 % result from other medical conditions.
Halitosis is mostly harmless but socially impairing and could negatively affect one's self-confidence.
Causes of bad breath in the mouth:
- Morning breath (physiological)
- fasting or hunger
- Food metabolites (garlic, onion, horseradish)
- alcohol consumption
- Food remnants trapped between teeth, on the tongue or under prosthesis (these areas have to be included in the oral hygiene regime)
- Gum inflammation and calculus deposits
- Periodontitis
- Cavities caused by caries
- Other dental diseases
Finding the cause usually starts by visiting the dentist, who may transfer the patient to the ENT specialist in case of a confirmed bad breath with no abnormal findings in the mouth region.
