Since bad breath can be caused by dental or other diseases, it's important that you visit your dentist.
Read more about why you get bad breath and what you can do about it on this page.
Why do you get bad breath?
Bad breath can have a number of causes, including poor oral hygiene, dental disease or more serious illnesses. When you visit your dentist with the problem, the dentist will be able to investigate what the cause might be.
In dentistry, we divide bad breath into three categories:
True halitosis
True halitosis is bad breath that can be detected by simply smelling it in the normal way - or by using specific testing devices designed to detect sulfur compounds associated with bad breath.
Under this category of bad breath, you'll also find pathological halitosis. It's called pathological halitosis when your bad breath is a symptom of a disease. If you have pathological halitosis, you should be treated by your dentist or general practitioner, depending on which disease the bad breath is a symptom of.
It's called oral pathological halitosis when the bad breath is caused by a condition associated with the tissues of the mouth, such as gingivitis. If you suffer from oral pathological halitosis, it will need to be treated. When treating dental tissue, we will usually start treatment with a thorough dental cleaning. We will also give you thorough guidance on how to ensure proper oral hygiene.
If the bad breath is caused by a disease involving tissue from either the nose, lungs, stomach or intestines, it is called extraoral pathological halitosis. It can also be caused by diseases such as cirrhosis, diabetes, kidney disease and internal bleeding.
If you show signs of extraoral pathological halitosis, we will refer you to your GP or specialist who can examine you further.
Bad breath can also be caused by bacterial buildup or other problems in the oral cavity. This is called physiological halitosis. If you have physiologic halitosis, the problem is typically in the white coating at the back of the tongue.
This kind of bad breath is typically temporary and not serious. It's the bad breath you might have when you've just woken up or if you've been talking for a long time. This is just dry mouth - and can be fixed by brushing your teeth and "cleaning" your tongue thoroughly.
Pseudo halitosis
Sometimes you may think you smell out of your mouth without scientific tests being able to detect it. This is called pseudo halitosis, and we're here to help advise you on how to move forward from here.
Halitophobia
It's called halitophobia if, after treatment, you still feel that you suffer from halitosis.
What can you do about bad breath?
Although, as mentioned, bad breath can be caused by disease, it can also simply be due to poor oral hygiene.
You can achieve good oral hygiene by brushing your teeth several times a day - and remember to brush your tongue. By also brushing your tongue, you'll remove bacterial deposits and food residue that has settled there. Flossing can also help, as it can remove bacteria and debris stuck between your teeth.
Contact us and get advice
If you have any doubts or questions, don't hesitate to contact us.
- I look forward to meeting you in the clinic.
- Dental hygienist
Adam was born in 1996 and graduated from the University of Copenhagen at the School of Clinical Assistants and Dental Hygienists (graduated in 2019).
In his spare time, he loves playing and watching football.
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