Metallic halitosis

A metallic smell of the breath is rather rare. It can have various causes. In most cases, however, the metallic odor is caused by another disease.

The metallic smell is then exclusively a symptom of a disease. These can include stomach problems, metal poisoning, jaundice or basic dental problems. In general, a metallic taste in the mouth does not necessarily mean a metallic smell. A clear distinction must be made here. If the breath can be identified as having a metallic smell, a doctor should be consulted to find the cause.

Sweetish bad breath

One of the symptoms of liver disease is sweet-smelling bad breath. This can therefore be a sign of liver dysfunction. It can be caused by viral hepatitis or poisoning.

However, this is rather rare in Germany. Poisoning can occur due to medication, drugs or chemical substances. In general, you should consult a doctor immediately if the sweet-smelling bad breath does not disappear even after some time despite good oral hygiene. In case of liver failure, symptoms such as fatigue, confusion, trembling or loss of consciousness would appear in addition to the sweetish-smelling bad breath.

Bad breath after acetone

A breath that smells of ammonia and can be clearly identified as such is a sign of kidney weakness or renal failure. In this case, the urine would also smell strongly of ammonia. You can test your own bad breath by moistening your own wrist with your tongue, letting it dry and then smelling it.

The reason for the smell of ammonia is that the urea content in the body is too high. Urea can no longer be used in our body and is excreted through the urine if the kidneys are healthy. If the kidney no longer functions completely, the urea can enter the bloodstream and be breathed out through the lungs. The result is a breath that smells of ammonia.

Bad breath despite brushing your teeth

In many cases the cause of bad breath is a lack of oral hygiene. However, if you perform extensive oral hygiene twice a day, i.e. brushing your teeth for at least 3 minutes, using interdental brushes, dental floss and a tongue cleaner, the cause of bad breath is not a lack of oral hygiene. Many of the bacteria that cause bad breath are deposited on the tongue.

For this reason, using a tongue cleaner is very important. This also applies to dental floss or interdental brushes, because the bacteria metabolize food residues, which are preferably deposited in interdental spaces, into products containing sulfur. This results in bad breath.

If you have bad breath despite adequate oral hygiene, caries can still be the cause of bad breath. Tartar or diseases of the stomach, liver or kidneys can also be a cause of bad breath. Persistent bad breath, which cannot be traced back to an organic cause and does not subside despite good oral hygiene, can be a sign of tongue cancer.