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Bad breath can be a real turn off. The medical term for bad breath is halitosis and this mostly happens when you don’t follow good oral habits. Sometimes, there can be underlying reasons for it as well. Medical technologies have advanced so well that there are sophisticated detectors to identify the chemicals responsible for causing bad breath. 

Once you visit your dentist, they will do the tests to determine the cause of the bad breath. They will scrape the back of your tongue to rate the odour, and then suggest treatment, based on the cause.

The most common cause of bad breath is cavities, followed by gum disease.  

Causes of bad breath

1. Not brushing the teeth or flossing regularly

Poor oral hygiene happens when you don’t brush your teeth and floss regularly. If you wear dentures, you have to clean those thoroughly as well. It is important to spend 2-3 minutes brushing and then flossing to avoid plaque build. It is this residue of plaque that leads to tartar and later, cavities. If you don’t visit your dentist, the cavities would then affect the root of your tooth, causing loss of a tooth, not just bad breath. 

2. Ingesting certain foods

If you have problems with digestion, then ingesting raw onions and garlic would be disastrous. The fumes they give out while the food is being processed in the stomach would travel up to your lungs, and then from there through your breath. So if you feel these things cause bad breath, do your best to avoid them. Brushing your teeth after eating them doesn’t help at all, because the odour comes from your bloodstream and then to your lungs. 

3. Chewing tobacco, smoking can cause bad breath

Tobacco can not only stain the teeth and cause gum diseases but bad breath too. The scratching and abrasion of the teeth will eventually lead to bone loss around the teeth, causing tooth decay and cavities. Chewing tobacco can dry out your mouth, contribute to gum disease and bad breath. The tissues lining the mouth and the nose are naturally moist, but with tobacco and smoking that can go away. 

4. Medical condition and disease

If you suffer from diabetes or have a liver condition that could be a reason for bad breath. Even dieting can cause bad breath, like fruity-smelling breath. Kidney failure can cause urine-smelling breath and liver failure can cause fishy smelling breath. Certain medications can also bad breath, especially medication for cancer, stomach disorders, zinc deficiency. GERD is another stomach disorder caused by poor digestion, 

5. Dry mouth

Saliva is important for the mouth and it keeps the mouth clean and moist. Certain medications can also cause dryness of the mouth. If you have the habit of sleeping with the mouth open, there will be bacteria build up in the mouth that causes the morning breath odour. 

Visit your dental centre in Qatar, if you suffer from bad breath. At Naseem Al Rabeeh, you can find out the cause for your bad breath and find treatment for the same. We have an excellent team of dentists and dental hygienists to help find out the cause for bad breath and other oral problems. Finding good care at the right time is so important, so don’t wait when it comes to oral hygiene or dental health. Even if you are cured of bad breath, it is important to visit our dentist twice a year to check your dental health and to ensure you are brushing and flossing correctly. 

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