Bad breath as a warning

Bad breath can signal periodontitis

Persistently bad breath, possibly combined with bleeding gums, can above all be a sign of massive health problems in the mouth and throat. The danger here comes above all from periodontitis, the chronic inflammation of the structures supporting the teeth. In most cases bad breath is caused by bacteria that produce foul-smelling sulphur compounds in the mouth. And it is precisely these bacteria that are ultimately responsible for periodontitis. If it is not treated in good time, the loss of teeth threatens. To give the bacteria no chance at all to carry out their damaging work, regular prevention at the dental practice is a duty. And here it is important to establish the patient's personal risk of periodontitis through individual, standardised diagnosis

Modern prevention plans go markedly beyond a normal professional tooth cleaning. On the basis of the individual risk of periodontitis and caries, a personal dental care schedule is drawn up. Only after a thorough diagnosis and an assessment of the current state of teeth and gums do the dental specialists decide on the kind and extent of treatment. Follow-up appointments are tailored exactly to the individual needs of the patient. The aim: to detect risks in good time, to reduce them and to keep teeth and gums healthy in the long term. The result can be seen, tasted and smelled: clean teeth and fresh breath

The tongue – on everyone's lips, but seldom clean

They are everywhere in the mouth and particularly like the tongue – more precisely the back of the tongue. In its countless small furrows and grooves, bacteria can hide perfectly and go about producing the foul-smelling substances undisturbed. If the deposits on teeth and tongue are not removed daily and completely, the bacteria multiply quickly and produce unpleasant smells. They can also cause inflamed gums or even disease of the tooth bed such as periodontitis. That in turn creates new places for the culprits to live, so that their number goes on growing continuously. The bad breath increases – a vicious circle. Fewer than ten per cent of Germans clean their tongue regularly, although the industry offers effective mechanical and chemical aids. A massive hygiene problem, with which the specialist at the dental practice can help

And incidentally: many unnecessary gastroscopies to investigate bad breath have already been avoided in this way

A person's normal breath is as a rule not noticeable. Bad breath makes you lonely. In more than 85 per cent of cases, bad breath (halitosis, from the Latin halitus: breath) has its cause in the mouth. Oral causes are often coating on the tongue, inadequate oral hygiene, caries, infections such as periodontitis or gingivitis, open root canals, poorly cared-for dentures and the germs, bacteria and micro-organisms that are present in the mouth in large numbers depending on individual oral hygiene. Their metabolic products (among them so-called volatile sulphur compounds) cause the unpleasant smell. Non-oral causes include diseases of the ear, nose and throat and of the stomach

Stress, smoking, reduced saliva flow and particular eating habits can make the problem worse. Bad breath can be measured with technical instruments, a so-called halimeter, or with electronic noses. In most cases the dentist can help a patient with halitosis and rid them of bad breath professionally. If no oral cause is apparent after a dental examination, the halitosis should be investigated across disciplines. Where halitosis has been diagnosed, a connection with a systemic illness should also be considered. At the centre of diagnosing halitosis is the objective assessment of the smell. In a professional treatment of bad breath at the practice, general oral hygiene is improved first and a thorough health history taken. Depending on the severity, regular professional tooth cleaning at the practice and improved oral hygiene at home – including cleaning the tongue with a scraper or the toothbrush – are enough to combat the causes effectively