According to who statistics, halitosis — bad breath, — is a problem more than 60% of the world population. It can be temporary, caused by lack of hygiene and a symptom of a serious health problems.
How to determine the level of halitosis and when to visit the doctor, said our experts — candidate of medical Sciences, dentist I category, the chief doctor of dental clinic “Brothers Lipskie “Plus” Vyacheslav Lepsky, and the doctor-gastroenterologist of the Universal clinic “Oberig” Natalia Dinnik.
THE RATING OF FRESHNESS
Many people are not aware of the existence of the problem of halitosis: not every friend and family member even has the guts to hint at bad breath companion. There are several ways to test yourself: lick your wrist (spoon, napkin), allow to dry and smell; dental floss unscented to clean the gaps between the teeth, dry them and appreciate the smell. There is also a special pocket devices — gasometry that will help to measure the hydrogen sulphide concentration in the exhaled air. The rating is on a scale from 0 to 4 points. And of course, there is always the option of professional examinations on the special sensitive equipment.
LOOKING FOR THE CAUSE OF THE MOUTH
From the standpoint of dentistry, the appearance of halitosis often associated with the hygienic condition of the oral cavity. In this case, the unpleasant odor cause of the waste products of bacteria that live in the folds of the mucous membrane of the mouth and on the teeth. Multiplication of bacterial flora also contribute to various diseases of the mucosa and dentition: caries, periodontitis, parodontosis, gingivitis, stomatitis.
Another reason for unpleasant breath can be dryness of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. It can be caused by a decrease salivation, and a habit of sleeping with his mouth open, breathing through mouth, use of alcohol. Also cause unpleasant smell and Smoking strong-smelling foods — garlic, onions, coffee.
What to do? If the cause of bad breath lies in the mouth, you need to go to the dentist is for prevention or treatment of oral cavity. And, of course, to carefully monitor the hygiene. Thoroughly clean the teeth with a brush (do not overdo it, take care of the tooth enamel), remove plaque from the tongue and food debris between teeth clean with dental floss. Pieces of food is a favorable environment for bacteria. Remember: the bacteria that cause halitosis, most comfortable in an acidic environment but an alkaline environment prevents their growth.
PROBLEMS WITH THE DIGESTIVE AND ONCOLOGICAL
“If the cause of halitosis is improper oral hygiene — to help solve the problem of the use of a quality toothbrush and thorough brushing. But if hygienic procedures are not helping to get rid of smell, it makes sense to undergo a preventive medical examination”, — said Vyacheslav Lepsky.
Causes significant: halitosis can be associated with diseases such as diabetes and renal failure. In such cases, to mask the problem a refreshing spray, a spray for oral cavity or chewing gum even dangerous: these steps will give a temporary effect and will delay your visit to a specialist.
If the dentist doesn’t help, go to Laura. And only then — to the gastroenterologist
Another common cause of halitosis is a disease of the digestive tract. To determine that the smell in the mouth caused by gastritis, gastro-duodenitis or ulcer, in many cases, helps the language: it bears the characteristic inhomogeneous layer (when brushing your teeth, plaque from the tongue, be sure to remove). Another sign of guilt of the stomach will be sour taste in my mouth.
The appearance of unpleasant mouth odor may indicate different diseases concerning the digestive tract. Therefore, if a visit to the dentist and rehabilitation of the oral cavity have failed, your assistant can become doctor-consultation — to exclude chronic inflammatory process in the tonsils. Well, if he found nothing, following the doctor — gastroenterologist: it will determine what kind of disease prevents you breathe.
“The spectrum of gastrointestinal diseases with unpleasant mouth odor is wide: most often it is a manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is accompanied by heartburn, chronic gastritis (particularly the bacterium Helicobacter pylori). Often halitosis is a symptom of oncological diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, you need to conduct diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy”, — says Natalya Dinnik.
