HALITOSIS: Causes and Treatment

The word halitosis means bad breath. It also means bad or unpleasant mouth odour. Halitosis ranks 3rd after pain and cosmetic consideration among dental diseases.

Bad breath may arise from the lungs. Such smell may include smell of garlic,alcohol,onions e.t.c
Some of the causes of halitosis are associated with structures found in the mouth while others are not related to these structures.

CAUSES OF HALITOSIS THAT ARE RELATED TO THE MOUTH
. Lack of salivary flow/dry mouth
. Stagnation of food debris
. Poor oral hygiene
. Tooth decay
. Swelling of the gum
. Cancer of any part of the mouth
. Mouth breathing habit
. Coatings on the tongue

CAUSES OF HALITOSIS FOUND OUTSIDE THE MOUTH
. Swelling of any part of the the lung
. Tuberculosis
. Cancer of the lung
. Infection of the nose
. Diabetes
. Diseases of the liver

OTHERS
. Smoking
. Alcohol
. Prolonged fasting
. Some drugs(anti hypertensives)
. Depression
. Psychosis
. Menstruation
. Psychogenic (unreal feelings of bad mouth breath)

TREATMENT
. Good oral hygiene
. Routine scaling & polishing
. Removal of badly broken teeth that can not be saved
. Filling of teeth with cavities (holes)
. Regular use of mouthwashes
. Keeping log of food intake (to be able to pick the "culprits")
. Drink a lot of water
. Habits like mouth breathing and lack of sealed lip should be treated
. Prompt medical attention should be sought for diseases in any part of the nose,throat, lungs and pharynx
. Counseling in case of psychogenic halitosis, alcohol consumption and smoking

DR ADEJUMO ADETOYESE OLUMIDE B.Ch.D (Ife), M. Sc (Ife)