Bad breath - Halitosis

Definition: a foul odor from the mouth

Causes: Although bad breath can result from many causes, 85% of the cases of bad breath originate from the mouth. It affects anywhere from 50-65% of people. Causes include bad oral cleanliness habits, periodontal disease, chronic sinusitis, ulcers, liver and kidney diseases, lung diseases, diabetes, and cancer at times. The foul odor usually comes from sulfur-containing gases produced by bacteria in the mouth or sinus drainage. Sometimes no cause is found, and a few healthy individuals think they smell something which is not really present.

Signs and symptoms:

Other than the odor, sometimes periodontal disease or sinus drainage is present, or other factors that will explain the odor.

Treatment:

Most treatment is aimed at the causative factor. First rule out more serious causes such as ulcers, diabetes, and cancers. Next take care of any periodontal diseases and keep the mouth clean by brushing and using mouth washes. Rinses that contain zinc have been shown to be helpful in killing the odor-causing bacteria. Address any sinusitis (see sinusitis). Tongue scraping, using a special tool to scrap the coating off the tongue, performed several times a day, reduces the amount of odor-causing bacteria in the mouth.

Alternative treatments are aimed at the underlying causes of the halitosis. However, parsley is helpful as an herb, and vitamins C with bioflavanoids and B, and calcium are helpful for periodontal disease.

Reference:

Rev Stomatol Chir Maxillofac 1999 Oct;100(5):240-4.