Causes of bad breath

[Jacob]

Hi

I suffer from bad breath which I have been trying hard to get rid of over the past few months. It seems that the bad breath is worst in the morning and its there most mornings regardless of what ever I eat the night before.

I try to brush my teeth three times a day and use an electric toothbrush. I also use mouthwash and use chewing gum as much as possible. However in the mornings, I still notice that my breath smells and this has been a big cause of concern for me over the last few months. I would like to know what are the causes of bad breath and what can I do to stop this embarrassing problem.

[Dr Vahid Motahar]

Hi,

Thank you for your question.

There are many causes of bad breath, also known as halitosis. The commonest cause is build up of plaque and calculus in the mouth that is treated by a course of scaling and polishing and use of mouth washes. There are some dental products that we would be able to offer you to improve your halitosis also. This is the most usual dental cause of the halitosis.

Other factors can be related to gastrointestinal problems and the flora of the mouth. Thus the type of natural bacterias present in the mouth. One should not rule out tonsilitis also which can be a cause of halitosis. These are of more complicated causes to treat and need a lot of investigation. However the first line of treatment is a good and extensive scaling and polishing.