If your halitosis is caused by oral bacteria living at the back of the tongue and along the other soft tissues in the mouth, then the typical bad breath treatment would be a tongue scraping and a prescription for a medicated rinse. The rinses are typically antiseptic in nature and may include active ingredients such as:
- Alcohol
- Zinc Compounds
- Oxychlorine
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Chlorine Dioxide
Now under normal circumstances, a good tongue scraping followed up with some antiseptic rinse should be enough to cure bad breath problems in most cases. Now it may also be necessary to scrape your teeth in order to remove plaque and tartar build-up-but that should be the extent of your bad breath treatment. That is, of course, unless the bad breath is caused by advanced gum disease but even this common halitosis cause is treatable and should have been addressed by your dentist when the tongue scraping was performed. So, if all this has been done and the bad breath symptoms persist-what then?
Well, oral bacteria are typically responsible for around 90% of all bad breath problems. These microbes consume food particles in your mouth and then produce waste products known as sulfur compounds that produce the foul smell associated with bad breath. When the population of these bacteria are properly controlled, there should be no further problem with halitosis. If there is, then your bad breath may be caused by a much larger medical issue, such as:
- Kidney Disease
- Liver Disease
- Pneumonia
- Bronchitis
- Acid Reflux
Systemic diseases such as those listed above are a considerable drain upon your immune system. Kidney and liver disease may cause problems with bad breath due to the production of Putrecine, a smell that is associated with rotting flesh and produced by microbes consuming the organs themselves.
With pneumonia and bronchitis, there is an accumulation of mucous and other viscous agents in the lungs that are associated with bad breath when a person exhales. The halitosis will worsen as the conditions progress until treatment for the underlying problem is initiated.
Acid reflux creates a very acidic type of bad breath problem due to the escape of stomach liquid through a collapsible valve at the tip of the stomach. This condition may simply be the result of a very bad diet or signaling the presence of an ulcer or other ailment of the stomach. Unless the condition is controlled with medication, it will continue to worsen until the acid begins to eat the enamel covering the outside of your teeth-leading to tooth decay which is another common cause of bad breath.
Chronic bad breath problems should never be taken lightly as they are never caused simply by “spicy foods” or things like garlic and onions. While these foods may lead to short term problems with halitosis, they do not cause chronic problems that persist for weeks, months, or even years at a time. Thus, if bad breath treatment fails for any reason, be sure to consult with a medical doctor immediately as there is likely a larger problem contributing to or causing your troubles.
