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Last posts on private forums:  sare  2008-06-16 09:56:33 matthew 2008-04-12 21:25:59 pieniadz 2008-04-12 20:52:26
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Last posts on private blogs: matthew 2008-04-12 21:25:17 mary 2008-04-12 19:27:47 |
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Lastly added medical terms:
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You are in: Main Page / Medical articles / Dentistry / Bad Breath Causes
Bad breath is not only a sociable problem but also a sign of more serious health conditions such as gum disease, dry mouth or many others. What are bad breath causes?
Obviously, even the healthiest people can have problems with bad morning breath. This is because the tongue and cavities are a reservoir for bacteria called plaque. These are the bacteria which produce this sulphur compound causing bad breath also known as halitosis. Sometimes it's enough to brush and floss teeth regularly. But once the smell gets too bad you should treat it as a warning sign.
Floss your teeth
Dentists often ask their patients to floss their teeth after the meals. Even though it is unknown how flossing affects teeth, it surely makes better breath and less gum bleeding.
Avoid certain foods
Sometimes flossing is unable to improve bad breath, certain foods can turn your breath ugly. Certain foods change your breath e.g. onions, garlic or cheeses. These foods get absorbed in the bloodstream and travel to the lungs, this is from where smells come. Mouthwash and chewing gum can't kill bad breath, it can only mask the scent. The smell will stay until the food passes through the body.
A warning sign
An unhealthy mouth signals a problem with the body. It is often connected with gum disease and heart disease. Other diseases create halitosis as a side effect. Bad breath can be an indication of serious concerns e.g. infections. Dry mouth is a condition where body doesn't produce saliva and makes your mouth full of non-flushed bacteria. Because we don't produce saliva in the night we wake up in the morning with bad breath. For instance, cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy experience bad breath. Elderly patients can have even more serious complications due to bad breath and dry mouth. The simplest example would be difficulty swallowing, as a result, food can be transported to a wrong tube, and cause pneumonia.
Halitosis can also be caused by kidney failure, diabetes, hormone swings or any lung problems.
Good diet
Bad breath can also be caused by problems with metabolism or infrequent trips to the toilette. It can even be a side effect of dieting and skipping meals. According to the research by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health people on low-carbohydrate diets e.g. Atkin's diet often complain about halitosis.
If you're really concerned about bad breath, visit the dentist, floss teeth regularly and rinse them with fluoride mouth wash.
Added by:
mary
not connected with health care system
Added on:
2009-05-20 13:42:21 ,
Updated:
2009-05-20 13:50:11
Bibliography:
www.livescience.com
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