Can dental disease cause bad breath?
Bad breath, or halitosis, is a socially stigmatizing disorder. It is usually not the most common reason people come to see lung doctors, but the topic does arise from time to time. There are several things you can do which may easily fix the problem. Sometimes, however, it requires an experienced medical specialist to find the underlying cause of it. The first place to look is with oral hygiene, or good mouth and dental care. If you haven’t been to the dentist for a while, this would be a good reason to say “hello”. Regular brushing of the teeth and gentle brushing of the tongue may help, as may gargling and rinsing with mouthwash. Warm saltwater gargles and rinses may also help, as food can get trapped in the tonsillar and adenoid tissue. Chronic tooth and gum infections (caries and gingivitis) can lead to infections in the jaw and infections of heart valves (by traveling through the bloodstream).
If I have great dental hygiene, where else can bad breath come from?
The second place to look is the sinuses. Sinus congestion with post-nasal drip due either to allergy or infection may lead to particularly malodorous breath. Occlude each nostril one at a time and try to breathe through the opposite one. If it is clogged, consider starting a decongestant and talking to your doctor about nasal allergies and sinus problems. Over the counter decongestants may help, but if you have a sinus infection you will likely need antibiotics from your doctor. Heartburn, with reflux of food materials into the mouth or dysphagia (foods that do not travel well down the throat to the stomach), may also lead to bad breath often accompanied by a bad taste in the mouth. Over the counter antacids may help, although a Gastroenterologist may need to be consulted if this is a persistent problem.
Finally, take a look at your tonsils. If they are large with lots of crevices, debris may get stuck there until it decays and leads to a bad smell. Sometimes, the best approach is to just have these tonsils removed. An Otolaryngologist or Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor can help you determine if this should be done. So while this may seem like an unfortunate event, it is really an early warning system to prevent you from have dental infections (which can become life threatening), sinus infections and chronic heartburn leading to esophageal cancer.
Self-Check for Managing Bad Breath
- I am regularly seeing my Dentist. I have great oral hygiene, including tooth brushing, flossing, and mouthwashes/gargles.
- I have my nasal allergies and sinuses open and without congestion.
- If I have heartburn, trouble chewing or swallowing, or a chronic bad taste in my mouth, I have arranged to see a GI specialist.
- If I have a chronic productive cough, a chronic lung infection may be suspected as a cause of my bad breath and I should have further lung evaluations performed.
Managing Doctors
- Primary Care
- Dentist
- Ears, Nose, Throat (ENT)
- Gastrointestinal (GI)
- Pulmonologist