Synonyms in a broader sense
Causes of bad breath, causes of oral cavity, causes of bad breath
Bad breath causes in the oral cavity
A foul-smelling breath, called bad breath, Latin foetor ex ore, is by far the most common when it originates from the oral cavity and can have various causes. It can be deeply destroyed teeth or plaque due to negligent oral hygiene. Extreme tartar formation or gum pockets where purulent inflammation has formed can also be a cause of bad breath.
Bad breath can also occur during wound healing after tooth extraction or surgery. Inflammations of the gums and the oral mucosa can cause bad breath. After meals, food remains, especially meat remains, can get stuck in the spaces between the teeth, which, if not removed, can lead to bad breath.
This also applies to bridges and dentures if they are not cleaned. In untreated periodontitis with deep gum pockets, these form a dirt niche for bacteria. Therefore, gum pockets can also be the cause of bad breath.
These odors are caused by putrefactive bacteria that produce sulfur-containing metabolic products. Another reason for bad breath is a reduced salivary flow, called xerostonia in Latin. Organs adjacent to the oral cavity can also be affected by bad breath.
This is mainly the case with purulent tonsillitis, as well as inflammation of the nose and maxillary sinus. In addition to the local causes of bad breath, there are also oral causes, Latin halitosis, which cause foul-smelling breath that can also come through the nose. These are mainly stomach and intestinal diseases that one must also think of when having bad breath.
Very characteristic is the smell of kidney and liver diseases. Since the breath originates from the lungs, it is only too understandable that bad smelling bad breath develops with diseases of the lungs, in particular with the decay of lung tumors. A badly adjusted diabetes mellitus also makes itself felt as a cause of bad breath.
All articles in this series:
