Causes, Precautions and Home Remedies for Bad Breath

2022-04-05 00:00:00

You must have often felt that while talking to some people, their mouth smells bad due to which they are neither able to talk properly nor can they laugh openly. Bad breath often instills low self confidence in people and they hesitate to talk openly.

Bad odor from the mouth is a common problem that people are worried about, but they do not get treatment or do not have the right information about it. Apart from this, some people do not even cure this problem for fear of being made fun of themselves. Usually this problem occurs among people who do not clean their mouth properly and do not maintain oral hygiene but it does not mean that other people do not or cannot have this problem. There are mainly three reasons for bad breath, oral, non-oral and other reasons.

Causes of Bad Breath

Oral Causes-                                                                                                                                                               

• As the temperature of the mouth rises, bacterial growth occurs which leads to bad breath.
• While eating something, the fibrous food gets stuck in the teeth and causes infection in the mouth which further leads to bad odor from the mouth. This makes it imperative to clean the mouth properly.
• Pyorrhea disease has a counter effect on the gums which causes the mouth to stink.
• Saliva keeps moisture in the mouth and helps in keeping the mouth clean. Dead cells accumulate in a dry mouth. These cells also produce bad odour.
• Sometimes bad odor in the mouth occurs due to sores and blisters.
• It is natural to notice bad odor from the mouth if the cap on the teeth is not cleaned properly.

Non oral Causes-

Some diseases also cause bad breath from the mouth like-

• Kidney or lung disease.
• Diabetes.
• Nasal problems or sinus.
• When there is bacterial activity in the lungs.

Other causes of bad breath are-

• The bad smell also occurs with consumption of food that contains onions, garlic and spices in large quantities but this smell subsides automatically in no time.
• Consumption of products like tobacco and cigarettes is also a big reason for bad smell in the mouth. Apart from this, the chances of getting cancer also increase by consuming them.

Precautions required to avoid bad breath-

• Drink optimum amount of water.
• Do not smoke, use tobacco and alcohol.
• Reduce the intake of coffee and tea.
• Brush regularly and make it a habit to gargle with clean water after eating.
• If possible, use dantun at least once a day because it removes the bad odor of the mouth and also strengthens the gums.
• Avoid eating spicy food and reduce the consumption of onion, garlic, ginger, etc.
• Consume less sweets because it might lead to tooth decay which leads to bad breath.
• Digestive problems also lead to bad breath. That's why it is important to make a habit of walking for some time after eating.
• Chewing gum and consumption of sugar free sweets helps in the formation of saliva. So, both of these can also be consumed.
• Visit the dentist regularly for dental check-ups.

Home remedies to get rid of bad breath

• Odor and other diseases are cured by gargling with mint solution.
• Mixing one teaspoon of ginger juice in a glass of water and gargling with it two to three times a day reduces bad breath.
• Chewing licorice two to three times a day does not cause bad breath.
• Gargling with salt in warm water also reduces bad breath.
• Drinking green tea reduces bad breath. It contains anti-bacterial components which remove the odor.
• Chewing guava leaves also reduces bad breath.
• Mixing a pinch of salt in a spoonful of mustard oil, rubbing it on the gums keeps the gums healthy and also reduces the risk of bad breath.
• Fennel, cardamom, licorice, roasted cumin, coriander etc. are natural mouth fresheners, chew them after meals and at other times. This will reduce the bad smell of the mouth.
• Chewing cloves is also beneficial for eliminating bad breath. Apart from this, clove also benefits in other problems of the mouth.
• Boiling pomegranate peel in water and rinsing with it also reduces the smell of the mouth gradually.

When to go to the doctor?

If you have any of the following problems along with bad breath, go to the doctor without delay-

• Loss of teeth along with bad breath.
• Blood pouring from the mouth with a foul smell.
• Swelling and pain in the gums.
• Fever.
• In case of a cold and runny nose.
• When coughing up mucus.
• On having a sore throat.