Category: Oral Health

Bad breath – also known as Halitosis – is a very common issue. Interestingly, bad breath is not entirely linked to oral conditions. Instead, there are several physical health conditions linked to bad breath. Moreover, how can people tell if they have bad breath? Taking certain steps can help to lessen cases of bad breath.

Halitosis – which is better known as bad breath – is a problem that impacts many people. It is a common source of concern, anxiety, and sometimes embarrassment.

While many people think bad breath is purely related to our oral health, this is actually far from the case. Bad breath can be linked to many other areas.

Bad breath is something we all try to avoid, but it isn’t always possible. But what causes bad breath? Moreover, how can you tell if you have it? In this article, we examine these questions.

What is bad breath?

Having temporary bouts of bad breath, such as at first thing in the morning or after eating something strong like garlic, is normal. However, some people have a long-term issue with bad breath – which is called halitosis.

Statistics show that around a third of adults have bad breath [1]. Research shows that around 90% of cases of bad breath is due to oral health problems [2].

As well as being a health concern, bad breath also poses a social problem. For example, bad breath has been associated with poor self-esteem and anxiety [3].

Improving oral hygiene can help to lessen bad breath. However, knowing about the causes of bad breath can help.

Oral causes of bad breath

As discussed above, bad breath is mainly linked to oral health. For example, a lack of toothbrushing and neglecting the tongue when brushing are common causes.

One of the most common causes is an overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth. The mouth offers a huge space for bacteria to grow. There are small areas that are hard to clean – including between our teeth, parts of the gums, and the back of the mouth.

When we do not brush our teeth or floss, a build-up of bacteria between the teeth and gums develops, resulting in a rotten-smelling odour emitting.

The throat is a passage for food, fluids and air. This is a trio that can easily create a concoction that results in bad breath.

Moreover, some people can develop a condition called pharyngeal pouch. This is where a pocket forms at the back of the throat, which attracts food, fluids and air – resulting in the combination fermenting and causing a pungent odour [4].

An overgrowth of bacteria can also cause tonsilitis and tooth infections. This involves tissues becoming inflamed, or developing pus. Pus also causes a foul odour.

Sinusitis – which is an infection of the cavities in the skull – can also drop infected secretions into the throat, which worsens bad breath [4].

As with many other conditions, tobacco use also worsens bad breath. Strong-flavoured foods like garlic and onion can also cause short-term bad breath.

Physical causes of bad breath

But looking at a wider perspective, bad breath can also indicate problems with the gut, and in some cases – the bloodstream [4]. In fact, there are many different conditions linked to bad breath.

One well-known condition that can impact bad breath is called diabetes mellitus. This is a metabolic disorder which involves glucose being unable to access the body’s cells. Therefore, this results in a lack of energy, resulting in sugar levels rising in the bloodstream [4].

Then there is also a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. This happens when the body breaks down fats into compounds called ketones to act as fuel – normally when there is insufficient insulin dosage in the body [4].

Moreover, ketones have a distinct scent. One such example is acetone – which many people know for its use in nail varnish removers. For those that are aware of these removers, they will know of the strong stench they carry. When ketones build up in the bloodstream, they can easily diffuse into the breath, thereby bringing the odour with them [4].

Our diet also impacts us in many ways – including our breath. This is especially the case with diets that trigger ketone production – which is done with the intention of breaking down fats to hasten weight loss [4].

Such diets include the Atkins diet, which aims to make the body convert fat into energy by restricting carbohydrates. Another well-known diet is the 5:2 intermittent fasting plan. While these diets may promote weight loss, one of the most common side effects is foul breath.

How to tell if you have bad breath

A common issue with bad breath is that it can be very difficult to tell if you have it. We are often reliant on others telling us – though it can be a difficult topic to bring up.

There are actually some diagnostic tests that can be done. However, these are typically done as a way of testing for some serious health conditions.

But as discussed, for many people, their bad breath is linked to oral health. Therefore, diagnostic tests probably aren’t necessary. Instead, you can test your own breath.

One tried and tested method is to lick the back of your wrist, let it dry, and then smell it. This is a good way of finding out for yourself.

If you do need to improve your breath, then there are simple ways of doing so. For example, sipping water throughout the day, using mouthwash, remembering to brush your tongue, and eating leafy greens can all help.

Overall, while bad breath is often oral-related, there are clearly some physical health considerations too. As detailed above, when bad breath does hit, there are things that can be done to improve your breath!

Thinking points…

1) Bad breath is a common issue which impacts many people. As discussed in this article, make sure you brush your teeth and floss regularly. Using mouthwash can also complement your oral hygiene and keep your breath feeling fresh throughout the day. Some people use a tongue scraper as a way of lessening bacteria levels on their tongue. Have a think now about ways of improving your oral hygiene!

2) While following the above tips can help to stave off the threat of bad breath, there is something else that you can do for your oral health – visit the dentist on a regular basis for a check-up! Check-ups are crucial, as they involve a dentist taking a look at your oral health, providing advice and making recommendations if needed. We recommend that you book an appointment now!

What we offer at Savanna Dental

Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!

We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.

Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.

In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.

We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!

References

[1] Veeresha, K. L., Bansal, M., & Bansal, V. (2011). Halitosis: A frequently ignored social condition. Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry. 1 (1): p9-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103%2F2231-0762.86374.

[2] Quirynen, M., Mongardini, C., & van Steenberge, D. (1998). The Effect of a 1-Stage Full-Mouth Disinfection on Oral Malodor and Microbial Colonization of the Tongue in Periodontitis Patients. A Pilot Study. Journal of Periodontology. 69 (3): p374-382. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1902/jop.1998.69.3.374.

[3] Kisely, S. (2016). No Mental Health without Oral Health. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 61 (5): p277-282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743716632523.

[4] Baumgardt, D. (2024). Take my (bad) breath away – causes of halitosis and how to check whether you have it. Available: https://theconversation.com/take-my-bad-breath-away-causes-of-halitosis-and-how-to-check-whether-you-have-it-231858. Last accessed: 22nd June 2024.

New research has looked to see how the popular mouthwash brand Listerine® impacts our oral microbiome – which is the community of bacteria in our mouth. Interestingly, there are some concerns from the findings, which suggests Listerine may not be entirely positive for our oral health.

Many of us use mouthwash as part of our daily oral hygiene routine. Some use it immediately after waking up, others do so straight after cleaning their teeth, and some do so after meals.

But while we may believe that mouthwash is having a positive impact on us, according to recent research, this isn’t entirely true.

Recent findings have suggested that a flavour of a popular brand of mouthwash – Listerine® – may actually have a negative impact on our oral health, which is concerning [1].

The findings are very interesting. However, the researchers have pointed out that there are certain caveats to their findings, which is important to remember when looking for conclusions from the study.

Background

The research involved the brand Listerine, whose well-known slogan is “Kills germs that cause bad breath.” Whilst there is no doubting the slogan is accurate, we can ask at what cost is this made possible?

Recent statistics show that approximately 200 million people in the United States use mouthwash [2]. Listerine compete in the mouthwash market with other household brands like Colgate and Oral-B.

Typical benefits of mouthwash include reducing plaque levels, freshening breath, improving symptoms of dry mouth, and strengthening the enamel through fluoride.

Another benefit is balancing the bacteria levels in the mouth – known as the oral microbiome. However, as recent research shows, this doesn’t necessarily happen.

The oral microbiome refers to the community of bacteria that live in the mouth. The composition of the oral microbiome is crucial, as a poorly balanced microbiome has been linked to a range of conditions, including tooth decay and some cancers [3].

The Research

The research was conducted by a team from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. Their findings have been published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology [1].

The researchers were looking to see how mouthwash impacted the oral microbiome [1]. When the microbiome is in a healthy state, it boosts our oral health. But when problems arise, the microbiome can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.

To look into this, the researchers arranged a study which involved 59 participants. The participants were split into two groups. One group took the “Cool Mint” flavour of Listerine, whilst the other group took a placebo mouthwash [1].

The groups had a mouth swab after three months of daily use. Then, the groups swapped over for the next three months. Once again, samples were taken from mouth swabs at the end of the second period of three months [1].

Once the swabs had been taken, the researchers compared the swabs between the two groups using a range of analysis techniques. They were particularly interested to see if certain types of bacteria were present in the mouth.

The Results

The results were very interesting. The researchers found that two species of opportunistic bacteria were of a significantly higher volume in the saliva of those that had been using Listerine [1].

These two types of bacteria were Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus anginosus. These two bacteria have been linked to gum disease, esophageal and colorectal cancers in the past [1].

Arguably even worse – the researchers also found the level of a group of bacteria called Actinobacteria had decreased [1]. This group of bacteria are crucial contributors to the regulation of blood pressure.

Overall, the research showed that daily use of Listerine mouthwash can result in the oral microbiome being negatively affected. The abundance of the Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus anginosus bacteria makes a person more vulnerable to oral health problems.

Furthermore, there are also physical health considerations, with the lack of actinobacteria meaning blood pressure could worsen.

Author Comments

The findings are very interesting. In fairness to Listerine, the brand promise to freshen breath – which it certainly does. However, when analyzing the mouthwash in more detail, there are some concerning findings.

This is summarised by lead author Dr. Jolein Laumen, who has said the public use mouthwashes to “tackle bad breath or prevent periodontitis,” however, “they should be aware of the potential implications” [4].

However, the researchers have cautioned that we shouldn’t take substantial conclusions on their study. They have pointed out that the study didn’t take into account dietary habits, nor possible tobacco use, or other bacteria-causing behaviour [4].

Therefore, we can’t definitively say that Cool Mint mouthwash has a negative impact on our oral microbiome. However, there seems to be enough evidence to suggest there are potential issues.

Overall, we need to ensure we look after our oral health. Mouthwash can help in the majority of cases, but the main thing to do is to ensure you clean your teeth regularly and attend check-ups too!

Thinking points…

1) The above article shows us that even things that we think are good for our oral health aren’t necessarily healthy. In fact, you could be damaging your oral health without even realizing it. Therefore, it is very important to regularly see a dentist, so that they can check your oral health is strong. We recommend that you book an appointment now!

2) Do you use mouthwash as part of your oral hygiene routine? If so, it is worth checking the ingredients, and consulting your dentist over its use. If you don’t use mouthwash, then you could try and introduce it to your routine! It can be a great option for throughout the day to keep your breath fresh and mouth healthy. We recommend using mouthwash as part of your oral health routine.

What we offer at Savanna Dental

Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!

We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.

Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign[TM]! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.

In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.

We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!

References

[1] Laumen, J. G. E., Van Dijck, C., Manoharan-Basil, S. S., de Block, T., Abdellati, S., Xavier, B. B., Malhotra-Kumar, S., & Kenyon, C. (2024). The effect of daily usage of Listerine Cool Mint mouthwash on the oropharyngeal microbiome: a substudy of the PReGo trial. Journal of Medical Microbiology. 73 (6). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001830.

[2] Statista. (2024). U.S. population: Do you use mouthwash/ dental rinse?. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/276434/us-households-usage-of-mouthwash-and-dental-rinse/. Last accessed: 6th June 2024.

[3] Sharma, N., Bhatia, S., Sodhi, A. S., & Batra, N. (2018). Oral Microbiome and health. AIMS Microbiology. 4 (1): p42-66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3934%2Fmicrobiol.2018.1.42.

[4] Microbiology Society. (2024). Commonly used alcohol-based mouthwash brand may disrupt the balance of your oral microbiome, scientists say. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-06-commonly-alcohol-based-mouthwash-brand.html. Last accessed: 6th June 2024.

Recent research has looked into the progression of Periodontitis – which is the most common form of Gum Disease. It is known that periodontitis becomes more common with age. However, researchers were unaware of why this is the case. Therefore, research into this area has been completed, with the aim of learning more about this process.

Periodontitis is the most severe form of Gum Disease. Gum disease is one of the most common oral health conditions and affects a large number of people.

Interestingly, periodontitis becomes more common with age. However, scientists do not have an entire understanding of why this happens.

Now, a team of researchers has sought to learn more about this. They modified a well-known animal model to study periodontitis in detail, helping them to gain more of an understanding of this condition [1].

Background

Gum Disease is incredibly common, with it impacting almost half of American adults and hundreds of millions of people around the world [2].

Periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss. It is caused by an inflammatory response to bacterial infection of the tissue around the teeth – which itself is linked to poor oral hygiene.

As periodontitis worsens, the gums start pulling away from the teeth, which exposes the roots of the teeth and eventually, the bone [1].

As discussed in the introduction, periodontitis becomes more common as people age. For example, research shows that 60% of American adults aged 65 or over have periodontitis – the most severe form of gum disease [3].

This is likely to become more problematic over the next few decades, as life expectancy continues to grow. Therefore, learning more about the progression of this condition is crucial. This is what a team of researchers has looked into.

The Research

The research was carried out by a team from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Their findings have been published in the Nature Communications journal [1].

It is challenging to study periodontitis directly in humans, which leads scientists to use animal models. The “mouse ligature-induced periodontitis model” has been used a lot for scientific experiments since its introduction in 2012 [1].

The model works by artificially inducing periodontitis into mice via ligating silk threads onto the molars of the mice, which stimulates plaque accumulation [1].

While this particular model has helped researchers to study the mechanisms of cells involved in periodontitis, there are some limitations. For instance, it does not provide a picture that takes into account the complexities of periodontitis [1].

Therefore, the researchers modified the model. Instead of a single ligature that is used on the original, they used a triple ligature, which expanded the level of bone loss, albeit without causing severe bone destruction [1].

This allowed the team to get a wider selection of periodontal tissue. This could further their analysis and provide more widespread findings.

The team then observed as periodontitis was induced into the mice. They noticed that the IL-33/ST2 pathway was impacted. This is a pathway that is known to be involved in inflammatory processes in the body [1].

When the IL-33/ST2 pathway was weakened, the researchers noticed that the mice showed accelerated inflammatory bone destruction [1]. Therefore, once this pathway became weakened, periodontitis worsened.

It appears that as a person gets older, this pathway naturally weakens, with poor oral health seemingly exacerbating this process. Therefore, this makes a person more vulnerable to periodontitis as they get older.

The researchers were pleased with the outcome. Adding this to the field of knowledge for gum disease is helpful.

Summary

The researchers believe this research will be helpful in the future. The modified animal model they used could help with similar research, as it provides a more realistic representation of the mouth.

Confirming the effectiveness of this model, senior author Dr. Mikihito Hayashi said that the triple-ligature model achieved four times the yield of the previous model, which supported “the high-resolution analysis of different tissue types” [4].

In conclusion, the research team noted that the aforementioned IL-33 pathway “is deeply involved in periodontal disease” [4]. Furthermore, they noted that their findings may result in “the development of new treatment strategies and prevention methods” [4].

With so many people suffering from gum disease, any research into the condition is welcomed. These findings continue to be helpful for researchers and patients alike.

Thinking points…

1) As we mentioned above, gum disease is very common. In light of this, we all need to remember to look after our gums! Remember to brush them gently each day, avoid too much sugar in your diet and cut out any tobacco use. If you are concerned about the health of your gums, you can speak to your dentist. There are some treatments to aid the health of your gums, including root planing and scaling.

2) Remember to attend regular dental check-ups. A dentist can assist with the health of your gums, and they can look out for early signs of gum disease. When noticed early on, it can lessen the impact of gum disease. Therefore, it is crucial to attend the dentist at least twice a year. We recommend that you book an appointment now!

What we offer at Savanna Dental

Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!

We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.

Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.

In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.

We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!

References

[1] Liu, A., Hayashi, M., Ohsugi, Y., Katagiri, S., Akira, S., Iwata, T., & Nakashima, T. (2024). The IL-33/ST2 axis is protective against acute inflammation during the course of periodontitis. Nature Communications. 15 (2708). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46746-2.

[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Periodontal (Gum) Disease. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/about/gum-periodontal-disease.html . Last accessed: 25th May 2024.

[3] Eke, P. I., Thornton-Evans, G. O., Wei, L., Borgnakke, W. S., Dye, B. A., & Genco, R. J. (2018). Periodontitis in US Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 149 (7): p576-588. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2018.04.023.

[4] Tokyo Medical and Dental University. (2024). Clarifying the cellular mechanisms underlying periodontitis with an improved animal model. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-cellular-mechanisms-underlying-periodontitis-animal.html. Last accessed: 25th May 2024.