Oral Health Care Zone for Grown-upss

Bad Breath

Causes of bad breath


Having taken strong flavoured food
Oral hygiene problem
	Bad oral hygiene accompanied by putrefied food debris
	Failed to thoroughly clean the denture, leaving food debris and plaque on the denture which cause bad breath.
Oral Diseases or Oral Problems
Oral Diseases such as
	Dental Caries —if dental caries has extended into the pulp, the necrotic pulp will emit foul odour.
	Periodontal Disease —the accumulation of dental plaque and calculus irritates the gum, which leads to periodontal disease and causes bad breath.
Oral Problem:
	Insufficient saliva secretion (dry mouth)—if saliva secretion is insufficient, the oral cleaning effect of saliva will be reduced.
General health problems such as:
	Respiratory system problems
	●	Allergic Rhinitis (nose allergy)
	●	Sinusitis (infection of sinus)
	Alimentary tract problem (digestive system)
	●	Digestive problem
	Diabetes
	Nasopharyngeal Cancer (cancer of the nose and throat)
Smoking

Prevention and treatment


	Avoid eating strong flavoured food to prevent bad breath. If you have just had strong flavoured food, you can try:
		Brush your teeth with toothpaste
		Use chewing gum
		Rinse with mouthwash
		Use breath freshener
	Visit a dentist for regular dental check-up
	To ensure whether the bad breath is caused by oral diseases such as periodontal disease or dental caries, or whether it is caused by insufficient saliva production; so that appropriate treatment can be given.
	Pay attention to your regular oral hygiene practices to prevent oral problems
		Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste every morning and before bed at night and floss your teeth daily.
		Reduce the frequency of taking food or drinks
		Keep the denture clean by thoroughly cleaning them every night and soaking it in a glass of water overnight.
	Quit smoking
	If you don't have any oral problem, nor have you eaten anything with a strong flavour, your bad breath may be caused by other medical problems. In that case, you should see a physician to find out the cause and receive appropriate treatment.