What Causes Breath Odor, How Does It Pass? | 2025 Mersin Permanent Halitosis Solution
Hello Dear Readers;
Today I am going to tell you about not only a health problem, but also an important condition that directly affects self-confidence, human relationships and quality of life: Breath odor, or halitosis as it is also known.
If you’re ready, let’s take a step-by-step look at everything you need to know about breath odor together;
- What causes breath odor?
- How does persistent bad breath go away?
- What systemic diseases cause breath odor?
- How to find the real cause of bad breath?
- Is there a definite solution to bad breath?
- Which doctor to go to for bad breath?
* The relationship of breath odor with conditions such as reflux, stomach, tonsils and sinusitis
In the end, the most important:
You will learn that bad breath is not fate, it can be solved with the right diagnosis and treatment.
Is Bad Breath and Breath Odor the Same Thing?
Let’s give a clear answer to this question:
No.
*Bad breath is caused by the inside of the mouth, such as tooth decay, gum disease, oral infections, bacterial plaque on the surface of the tongue.
*Breath odor, on the other hand, is usually caused by non-oral (systemic) causes. It occurs when there is a problem in different systems of the body, such as the stomach, throat, lungs, liver, kidneys, or a metabolic disease.
If we cannot make this distinction, we can start treatment with mouthwash and postpone the problem for years without realizing it.
85% of the bad breath coming from the mouth is characterized as halitosis caused by the inside of the mouth. 15% of breath odor is caused by systemic diseases (internal causes).
What causes bad breath?
Causes of Intra-oral origin:
* Dental caries
* Gum diseases (gingivitis, periodontitis)
* Dental calculi and dental plaques
* Buried 20% dental infections
* Crooked teeth
* The bacterial layer on the tongue (especially the tongue ridge)
- Dry mouth
* Oral wound, canker sores, infected areas
* Braces and transparent plaques
* Poorly made fillings, coatings and bridges (e-max, zirconium, laminated, porcelain, empress)
* Amalgam fillings
* Insufficient cleaning of mobile prostheses
* Poor oral care ( not brushing teeth, not cleaning the tongue)
* Smoking, tobacco and bad habits
* Insufficient water consumption
* Not going to regular Dentist checkups
* Dry mouth (Xerostomia/Xerostomy) (decreased saliva): Saliva is the most powerful defense that suppresses bacteria in the mouth. If saliva decreases, bacteria increases, which is why the mouth dries out, creating bad breath. It even creates an advanced breath odor.
➡ Smoking, certain medications, and diabetes can cause this.
What Causes Breath Odor?
Causes of systemic Diseases(non-oral origin):
- Reflux
One of the most common reasons. Stomach acid travels up the esophagus, while odor-emitting gases also reach the mouth.
➡A more intense smell, heartburn and a feeling of tightness in the throat are typical in reflux patients in the morning.
- Helicobacter pylori
This bacterium, which lives in the stomach, can cause heavy sulfur-smelling breath, along with gastritis and ulcers.
➡It is diagnosed by blood test or endoscopy.
- Sinusitis and nasal discharge
It is common in people with nasal congestion who sleep with their mouth open at night.
➡ Inflamed liquid flowing into the throat causes a bad smell.
- Tonsillitis (chronic tonsillitis)
Bacteria and food residues that accumulate in the crypts on the tonsils produce a bad smell.
➡ “White stones” called tonsillolites can be the source of the smell.
- Diabetes (diabetes disease)
In patients with uncontrolled diabetes, there is an acetone-like sweet and sour smell on the breath.
➡ Ketone bodies in the blood are reflected in the breath.
- Liver and kidney failure
In these diseases, toxins accumulated in the body are excreted through breathing.
➡Ammonia odor occurs in liver patients, fish-like odor occurs in kidney patients.
- Lung infections
Inflammation of the lungs in diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia causes foul-smelling gases that come out with breath.
- Intestinal Diseases
Bowel cancer or tumors and bad bacteria also make the breath smell that does not pass through constantly.
“I’m brushing my teeth, but my mouth still smells bad”
I have heard this phrase many times in the clinic. Because in this case, not the mouth, but another system is speaking.
Brushing teeth, cleaning the tongue, making mouthwash is important, but it is not enough.
If the smell comes from an extrinsic cause, the mouth and breath odor persists, no matter how clean the inside of the mouth is. Jul.
Is There a Definitive Solution to Persistent Bad Breath?
Yes
But the solution is not mouthwash, mouth spray or menthol gum. These are temporary instant initiatives and solutions. Even these initiatives delay, hinder and even enlarge the solution of major diseases that cause bad breath. The solution is to correctly identify the main cause and main source of bad breath or breath odor and plan treatment accordingly. Breath odor is a result. If we dentists find the cause of this result, treatment will be possible.
Oral cavity, dental caries, gum diseases (gingivitis, periodontitis), poorly made dental fillings, irregular veneers and bridges (e-max, zirconium, empress, laminated, porcelain), embedded 20-piece tooth, amalgam filler, braces and transparent plaque, oral infection, wound canker sores, herpes, tartar and dental plaque, poor oral care, lack of attention to cleaning mobile dentures, if caused by bacteria on the surface of the tongue, treatment in dentistry… Stomach or if it is also caused by the lungs, the relevant branches are in their doctors … But first of all, a proper clinical examination, a detailed radiographic examination, personalized planning and determination of the patient’s systemic diseases should be directed correctly by making personalized dental treatment planning, taking into account the medications he uses.
Which Doctor To Go To For Bad Breath?
The answer to this question is:
- The first step should be a dental examination or a specialist dental examination.
- If there are no problems in the mouth, teeth, gums, jawbone:
* Doctor of gastroenterology (for reflux, stomach bacteria)
* Otolaryngologist (ENT) (for sinusitis, tonsillitis)
* Doctor of internal medicine (for systemic diseases such as diabetes, liver, kidney)
* Chest diseases doctor (for lung infections)
Does Bad Breath Affect Social Life?
Absolutely yes.
Bad breath and bad breath cause a person to withdraw when talking, withdraw from social environments, and feel unsafe in job interviews, which is why introversion happens. In the long term, psychological effects such as loss of self-confidence, feelings of loneliness, and depression/anxiety may occur. Among my patients, there have been people who have resigned from their jobs because of this, experienced problems in their marriage, or completely Decoupled from the friend environment. But with the right diagnosis, with the right treatment, the lives of these people have been reshaped.
The Questions You are Most Curious About Bad Breath?
How does the breath smell pass?
➡ First, there are the reasons that cause breath odor. If it is caused intraorally, dental treatment is required; if it is caused systemically, such as stomach, sinus, liver, treatment by a doctor in the relevant branch is required.
Does the stomach smell come to the mouth?
➡ Yes. In cases such as reflux or stomach bacteria (Helicobacter pylori), foul-smelling gases can reach the mouth.
Is there a definite solution to bad breath?
There Are ➡. But the solution is not mouthwash or chewing gum, but to eliminate the cause of bad breath.
Which section to go to for bad breath?
➡First to the dentist, then to the ENT, gastroenterology, internal medicine or pulmonology doctors.
How do I know if I have a breath odor on me?
➡ Simple methods such as mirror test, spoon test can be applied. The most important thing is to pay attention to the reactions of your surroundings.
I use gum all the time, it doesn’t go away. Why?
➡Chewing Gum suppresses the smell, but does not eliminate the cause of bad breath. It provides temporary refreshment. In addition, constantly chewing gum to get rid of bad breath can cause jaw joint disorders, jaw joint pain due to tooth biting imbalance, and irreversible problems in the jaw joint by over Novating the jaw muscles. To prevent bad breath, do not constantly chew gum and damage your jaw joint…
Does stress really cause bad breath?
Yes, stress directly affects bad breath. Under stress, many physiological changes occur in our body. One of them is the decrease of saliva production in the mouth. It facilitates the proliferation of anaerobic bacteria that cause dry mouth, bad breath and bad breath. In other words, when you are stressed, saliva, which is a natural cleaning system in your mouth, does not work enough and this prepares the ground for the formation of bad breath. Stressed individuals often clench or grind their teeth without realizing it, especially while sleeping at night. This, in turn, causes tooth enamel erosion, jaw joint pain and headaches. Stress suppresses the immune system, inflames the gums and makes them open to infection, and over time turns into advanced gum disease (periodontitis), leading to gum recession, jawbone resorption and tooth loss. People under stress often neglect their personal care. They reduce habits such as brushing teeth, flossing buddha teeth over time
Can stress affect the stomach and cause breath odor?
Absolutely yes. Especially in individuals experiencing chronic stress, the increase of stomach acid, the triggering of disorders such as reflux and gastritis are common conditions. This, in turn, causes the foul-smelling gases that rise from the stomach to the mouth to escape through the breath. He emphasizes that in such cases, stomach infections such as Helicobacter pylori can also increase bad breath.
You Don’t Have to Live with the Bad Breath Smell
I’m Prof. Dr. As Birkan Taha Özkan, I always say this: “Bad breath smell is a result. When we dentists find out the main source of the cause of bad breath and breath odor, the solution is possible and inevitable.”
Do not forget:
* Even if you don’t notice the smell of your breath, it is felt by your surroundings.
- People may not tell you that your breath smells bad or that your mouth smells bad so as not to offend you.
* But you are responsible for protecting your own health, self-confidence and quality of life.
Don’t hide it anymore.
First, you can completely remove breath odor from your life with the correct diagnosis, personalized planning and successful treatment approach of dentists and related medical branch doctors.