The condition called halitosis is the smell of breath by others.
The reason is a gas called volatile (sulphur) which is the waste material of dead bacteria. The places where these bacteria are found are all the cavities of our body, starting from the mouth and going down to the anus. That is, the mouth, sinuses, lungs, nose, throat, stomach and intestines.
The bad odor in the breath is mostly from the mouth. An oral infection, advanced gum disease, tooth decay, improperly made dental restorations, or only bacteria that settle on food residues left in the mouth for more than a few hours cause odor. Presence of restorations made of different metals in the mouth (tooth coatings or prostheses made with metals such as amalgam filling, nickel, gold, chrome, cobalt) cause a metallic odor and taste in the mouth, which you cause electrification and corrosion (metal release) between these materials.
But sometimes, even if the patient does not have gum disease, fillings or veneers, he can have bad breath even if he brushes his teeth 3 times a day and uses dental floss.
Systemic problems that cause odor are tonsillitis, lung inflammation, sinusitis, diabetes (acetone odor), gastrointestinal diseases, kidney failure (fishy odor), liver and metabolism disorders.
In this case, it is necessary to control the probiotic bacteria and yeast fungi found in all the empty organs that we call the intestinal flora of the patient. In the use of antibiotics, malnutrition (fast food diet, excessive consumption of floury and sugary foods) and children born by cesarean section, intestinal flora deteriorates, probiotic bacteria decreases, yeast fungi increase. The decrease in bacteria in the normal flora in the intestines also causes an increase in harmful bacteria. These harmful bacteria also produce gas called volatile. In addition to bad breath, the patient may experience gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, skin rashes, sinusitis, gingival diseases or frequent dental caries despite good brushing.
At the same time, there are changes in breath odor in the presence of systemic diseases. For example: While there is a sweet fruit odor in diabetes, fish odor is seen in kidney failure, sweaty foot odor in isovaleric acid deficiency, rotten egg odor in liver diseases, ammonia in kidney diseases, sweet acid odor in acute joint rheumatism.
In other words, bad breath can be a symptom of an important condition that should not be overlooked. After all the problematic areas that will cause odor in the mouth are treated by the dentist, if the smell is still felt by others, the intestinal flora should be checked and necessary treatments should be done.
How effective is tongue brushing in bad breath?
Odor-causing bacteria adhere to the back of the tongue called the back of the tongue. Although brushing the tongue temporarily removes the bacteria in this area, the odor will persist unless the cause of the odor is eliminated.
Dt. Tijen Secerli Dürer
