Periodontitis is a gum disease which often occurs as a follow on from untreated gingivitis, which itself is caused primarily from not following a good regime of daily oral hygiene.

One of the non physical symptoms of periodontitis is halitosis, more commonly known as bad breath. Halitosis can be caused for many reasons apart from bad oral hygiene, and can be a constant source of embarrassment to the sufferer, and the treatment for bad breath is dependent on the cause.

Some Causes of Halitosis.

  1. Diet.

After eating, food particles will remain in the mouth. If not totally removed by brushing and flossing, these tiny food particles lodged between teeth, or teeth and gum will decay and create a bad taste in the mouth along with a very bad smell. Bacterial growth will be encouraged, which can lead to gum diseases.

  1. Dental Appliances.

Very often the use of dental appliances can contribute to halitosis such as dental braces used for correcting crooked teeth. Food particles become trapped within the brace and if not properly cleaned will rot, encourage bacterial increase and cause bad breath and possible gum disease.

Equally food particles trapped between loose fitting dentures can have a similar effect if not thoroughly cleaned after eating.

  1. Smoking.

The use of tobacco products, apart from being a factor in causing gum diseases makes a large contribution to halitosis. It tends to irritate gum tissue, stain the teeth and cause tooth decay.

  1. Food Type.

Strong smelling foods such as garlic, onions and oriental spices can lead to bad breath, when digested, they are absorbed into the bloodstream and transferred into the lungs, so when the air is exhaled, the unpleasant odor becomes evident in the mouth as bad breath.

As with the early stages of gingivitis, people may be unaware that they suffer from halitosis. But warnings that the person should pay heed to, as to the possibility of  bad breath, are a bad taste in the mouth, a coating on the tongue or a dry mouth.

Good oral hygiene is essential to avoid the onset of any of these conditions, especially gum diseases like periodontitis, regular brushing and flossing of the teeth will always promote good oral health no matter what kind of food has been eaten, and apart from outside sources of bacterial infection, most people have the ability to avoid gum disease which leads to bad breath problems.

Tags: , , ,