Causes and risk factors:
Halitosis can also be classified as intra and extra oral halitosis. Normally halitosis is experienced early in the morning on waking up. Eating certain foodstuffs like onion, garlic, meat, fish also lead to bad breath. Consumption of alcohol and smoking is the most common cause of halitosis. Bacterial growth in mouth due to caries or diseases of gums, infections can cause bad odor from mouth. Poor dental hygiene, use of certain medications and certain diseases of throat and nose also leads to bad breathe. Halitosis can also be the presentation of the underlying diseases like liver and renal diseases, diabetes mellitus or bronchial and lung infection. (Extra oral cause)
Clinical presentations:
Halitosis cannot be assessed by the person himself. It can be noticed by the front person or accompanying person.Bad breathe from mouth is the only symptom seen. Other symptoms can also be present if there exist any underlying pathology.
Diagnosis and investigations:
Oral examination carried out by the dentist is the only way to confirm the diagnosis. Local examination carried out by the dentist will enable the doctor to diagnose the underlying dental diseases. At the level of the outpatient department use of certain devises like halimeter (It is odor scale) and gas chromatography to check for bad breath can be done. Certain sets of investigations can be carried out by the doctor to rule out the underlying causes. The investigations done are Routine blood and urine test, Blood sugar levels, Liver function test, Renal function test can be done.
Treatment:
Treating the underlying cause is of foremost priority. Conservative treatment comprises of administration of medications to combat the symptoms. Maintaining the oral hygienic methods like brushing the teeth twice daily, regular flossing, gargling, cleaning the tongue surfaces needs to be implemented. Use of mouth washes for rinsing can also be helpful. Adequate hydration and proper nutrition should be taken.
Recent updates:
A new study published in the Journal of Breath Research suggesting that the compound responsible for bad breath could be used to speed up the development of stem cells in dental pulp.
The two studies supervised by Professor Philip Moons, professor in nursing science at the University of Leuven, Belgium, and guest professor at Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark revealed that Poor dental hygiene behaviors raise endocarditis risk in patients with congenital heart disease as they are less likely to floss, brush and visit the dentist than their peers.
