How can bad breath be treated?

# Factors that affect the mouth and cause bad breath

o Dental decay.
o Gum disease.
o Food stagnation between the teeth.
o Dry mouth.
o Excessive bacterial activity on the tongue, possibly due to postnasal drip

(catarrh coming down the back of the throat from the sinuses and nasal

passages).
o Throat or tonsil infection.
o Catarrh.

# Factors that affect the airways and cause bad breath
o Sinusitis.
o Polyps.
o Dryness.
o Foreign body.
o Hindered air or mucus flow.
o Bronchitis.
o Pneumonia.
o Bronchiectasis (dilation of the bronchi of the lungs, usually from previous

infection).

# Factors that affect the oesophagus and stomach and cause bad breath

o Gastritis and food reflux.
o Food stagnation.

In rare cases, bad breath can be a sign of a significant general health

problem, so it should not be ignored. However, the usual cause is oral, which

can often be treated to resolve the problem.

As bad breath is almost always caused by a problem in the mouth, it is

helpful to visit a dentist. Do not try to mask the odour before the visit -

it needs to be as typical as possible.

If there is any dental treatment required to eliminate disease or avoid food

stagnation areas, this will be carried out. If no oral cause can be

identified by the dentist, it may be necessary to attend a clinic that

specialises in breath odours, or to visit other health professionals.

Some people become excessively concerned about bad breath, in which case a

psychological professional can help put what may in reality be a minor

problem into perspective.