Halitosis ( Bad Breath ) 

Does bad breath occur in everyone?

Bad breath is common in society and is seen at all ages. At least 50% of adults have socially unacceptable bad breath at some point in their lives, especially after getting up in the morning.
Studies show that men have 3 times more bad breath than women. In addition, it is observed 3 times more in individuals over the age of 20 than in young people.
Although the frequency of bad breath is reported as high as 50%, very few patients come to the dentist for treatment. The fact that people who have bad breath problems are not fully aware of this situation is called the 'smell paradox'. With this; It is stated that approximately 50% of men and 60% of women use cosmetic mouth spray.

With age  Does bad breath increase?

In middle-aged individuals, especially in the morning, a severe bad breath is seen. In advanced age groups, bad breath increases due to   prostheses , loss of fluidity of saliva and systemic diseases.

What are the causes of bad breath?

• The causes of bad breath can be pathological or physiological, or in some cases, both.

• 80-90% of pathological halitosis is oral, 10-20% is extraoral.

• Gingival  and mucosal diseases, fungi and infections, tongue and tongue root layer (rust), reflux and postnasal (nasal) discharge, in poor condition_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_implant _cc781905-5cde-3194 -bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ve  prostheses , dental caries, bad fillings, decrease in saliva and dry mouth, oral cancers, cleft palate, tonsil (tonsil) diseases are caused by mouth .

Where does this smell come from even though I have good oral and dental health?

The easiest way to distinguish mouth or mouth external source is to compare mouth and nose odors because the first organ that comes to mind when considering extraoral causes of halitosis is the nose. Nasal breathing is the type of breathing that should be preferred. Mouth breathing, which has an important place in the etiology of halitosis, occurs as a result of nasal obstruction.
If the odor originates from the nose or has medical reasons, a medical doctor should be consulted for further evaluation. We know that one of the most common anatomical causes of nasal obstruction is septum deviation. In a patient with septum deviation, other nasal pathologies related to this are also more persistent and more frequent. If there is no oral reason explaining the pathology, it should be kept in mind that septum deviation may cause halitosis by mouth breathing in a patient with bad breath.
Bad breath  physiological causes are hunger, menstruation, smoking, poor oral hygiene, leftovers, foods with high protein content, odoriferous foods such as onions, garlic, radishes, coffee, alcohol and some spices.

Should I care about my bad breath?

Since bad breath can be a sign of diseases such as upper and lower respiratory tract disorders, gastrointestinal system (stomach-intestine), esophagus, liver, autoimmune system (immune system (immune) and blood diseases, chronic kidney failure, leukemia, AIDS and metabolic diseases, it should be taken seriously, If it is not oral, you should definitely go to the doctor.

Will my mouth stink because I smoke?

Smoking is a direct or indirect cause of halitosis due to dental and gingival diseases. Cigarette smoke contains USB (volatile sulfur compounds). Excessive smoking leads to hairy tongue, which causes the retention of tobacco odor and food residues. Only due to smoking  Bad breath lasts for 24 hours. It has been reported that the back of the tongue is the primary source responsible for the formation of SDB and it has been revealed that cleaning the rust on the back of the tongue reduces the formation of SDB. It has been observed that the longest-lasting effectiveness is provided by cleaning the tongue rust. Halitosis treatment is performed in Central Dent Bahçeşehir Dental Clinic .

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My mouth smells bad; what should I do?

Halitosis treatment; It is based on the principles of paying attention to oral hygiene, brushing teeth and tongue, cleaning between teeth, treating gingivitis. Patients with bad breath should be encouraged to reduce smoking, stay away from harmful foods, eat at regular intervals, and visit their dentist every 6 months.

Why should I brush my tongue?

While many products are used to remove plaque from the teeth, the cleaning of an organ, namely the tongue, which contains millions of bacteria that causes bad breath  , has been neglected.
The back of the tongue is covered with a bacterial cover. Swallowing and eating a soft diet, as in most of us, cannot remove this veil, as a result, a white-gray and microorganism-rich layer remains there.
Hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercap, formed during the putrefaction of this layer on the tongue, are directly related to bad breath . Therefore, brushing the tongue should be as important as brushing the teeth.
Plastic tongue scrapers and small brushes are designed for scraping the tongue surface. These provide convenience especially for patients with nausea reflex. The tongue is pulled out as far as possible, the tongue cleaner/scraper is placed as far back as possible and slowly pulled forward by applying force. Patients with halitosis should repeat this procedure several times a day.

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My child's mouth stinks; what should I do?

Central Dent Bahçeşehir Dental Clinic  By our pediatric clinic and our treatment specialist There are specific mouth odors for different age groups. For example, a specific halitosis   is observed in children aged 2-5 years, which often develops due to food residues and bacteria located in the tonsillar crypts.
A pedodontist  (pediatric dentist)  should be consulted first. If bad breath still cannot be eliminated despite the necessary diagnosis and treatment, then an appointment should be requested from the pediatrician.