Bad breath affects almost 25 percent of world’s adult population at any point of time. In medical terminology, bad breath is called halitosis. There are dozens of causes of bad breath but the most common one is oral hygiene. This problem has become so common in the current times that we either use some temporary solutions to keep bad breath at bay or simply learn to live with it.
10 Surprising Things About Bad Breath
In the course of the current discussion, we will take a look at ten surprising facts about bad breath.
Term Coinage
It is interesting to know that the term halitosis was coined by the company Listerine back in 1895. Listerine was the first-ever prescribed product that was sold over the counter as a solution that would kill oral germs. The coinage of the term halitosis helped to boost the sale of Listerine. The problem of halitosis is often not a permanent one. You can get rid of the condition by visiting a dentist and practicing proper oral care.(1)
Mouth is a Harbor of Innumerable Bacteria
It is disconcerting to know that over 6 billion bacteria of 700 different species reside in the mouth. However, not all of them are bad. Just like your stomach, even your mouth has a balance between good and bad bacteria. However, when the bad bacteria increase in the number and the balance between the good and the bad bacteria is disturbed that you can experience the problem of bad breath.(2) The natural condition of your mouth encourages the breeding of these bacteria which can cause bad breath, but timely dental care and medical intervention can help to eliminate bad bacteria permanently and keep other oral problems checked.
Morning Bad Breath is Inevitable
Morning bad breath and chronic bad breath happen to be two completely different things. Morning bad breath is something that most of us experience after waking up. You can get rid of this bad breath easily by brushing your teeth, cleaning your mouth, and using proper mouthwash. However, when it comes to chronic bad breath, the trigger factors for the same could be the breeding of innumerable bad bacteria in your mouth. Problems with your gum teeth and other oral issues could be one of the reasons causing bad breath or chronic halitosis.
Medicines Can Trigger Bad Breath
It has been said innumerable times that eating a certain food or underlying health conditions or dental problems and oral issues could be the reason for having bad breath. However, it is surprising to know that certain medicines or medication procedures can also lead to unpleasant taste in your mouth and odor in your breath. If you been experiencing bad breath recently and have started on medication around the same time, it will be wise to read through the label of the medication to know more about its side effects. Often halitosis is a side effect of several medicines. Once you stop taking the medicine the condition will recede on its own.
Food Items that Cause Bad Breath
We all know that eating sweets or sugary food items could foster the growth of bacteria in our mouths. Nevertheless, one thing that we do not know is that a protein-rich diet can also cause bad breath. The proteins are broken down in our mouth by the bacteria giving out bad breath due to production of gases like hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, etc. Further certain citrus fruits also have a lot of sugar in them which is great to foster the growth of bacteria in our mouth. Essentially food items like peanut butter can be extremely encouraging for the breeding of bad breath due to fostering of bacteria in our mouth.
Certain Health Conditions That Can Cause Bad Breath
Moreover, there are certain health conditions like dry mouth and diabetes which can lead to bad breath. People experiencing dry mouth experience lack of saliva production in the mouth to keep their mouth adequately wet. Proper saliva production ensures your mouth is kept clean of harmful bacteria which reduce the chances of causing bad breath in your mouth.(3) Again, people who have a high blood sugar level tend to develop acetone in their oral region causing bad breath. Diabetes can lead to ketosis and ketones don’t have a very good smell.
Conclusion
The problem of bad breath can usually go away with proper intervention from the dentist. In many cases, it is the direct outcome of the oral problem and in other cases it could be indications of an underlying health issue. If the actual root of the problem causing the bad breath is identified and treated properly, the problem of bad breath or halitosis can ebb on its own. Bad breath is a problem which can cause a lot of social disgrace and hence can affect your confidence. It must be addressed and sorted as soon as possible.
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