A clean breath is an integral part of social life. The quality of breath is a highly significant factor that affects individuals' daily lives.

It can lead to a person's withdrawal from society, preferring to speak less and covering their mouth while speaking, and having an anxious and sensitive mood.

When individuals have a problem with bad breath, the first professionals they turn to are dentists. To solve the problem of bad breath, it is essential to first investigate the underlying causes of the problem.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF BAD BREATH?

• Inadequate oral hygiene: Poor oral hygiene is one of the most common causes of bad breath. Individuals who do not brush their teeth regularly and correctly, and do not use dental floss, allow food particles to accumulate in the mouth, leading to bacterial buildup. These bacteria use these food particles to produce gases that cause odor. Additionally, the accumulated food particles themselves slowly decompose, causing bad breath.
• Dental problems: Various dental problems such as tooth decay, dental abscesses, gum problems, poorly made fillings, and ill-fitting dentures create a suitable environment for bacterial growth and development.
• Dry mouth: Saliva not only aids in digestion but also moisturizes the mouth, prevents food particles from adhering to the teeth, and helps clean the mouth. Xerostomia, defined as a lack of saliva production, can worsen the problem of bad breath.
Diseases of the salivary glands, mouth breathing (such as snoring), certain medications (aspirin, diuretics, some pain relievers, antidepressants, etc.), and diseases like diabetes reduce saliva secretion, leading to dry mouth and exacerbating bad breath.
• Excessive Acidic Oral pH: Consuming highly acidic foods and beverages supports bacterial growth and tooth decay. Examples include carbonated sugary drinks, coffee, tea, vinegar, syrups, sauces, beef, pork, packaged meats, sugar-rich processed foods, and refined white flour.
• Strong-Smelling Foods and Beverages: Foods such as garlic and onions contain sulfur compounds that can temporarily produce odor. The same applies to strongly aromatic beverages like alcohol and coffee.
• Smoking and Chewing Tobacco: Regular smoking and tobacco chewing can lead to tooth staining, decay, and bad breath.
• Certain Medical Conditions: Sometimes, even if a person's oral health is good, their breath may smell bad due to respiratory, liver, or kidney-related issues. Examples include chronic bronchitis, throat infections, stomach problems, sinus infections, and diabetes.
• Unhealthy Gut: A healthy gut reflects a healthy body. If the balance between good and bad bacteria in the gut flora is disrupted, problems like indigestion, constipation, and accumulation of body waste may occur. Such a scenario is quite conducive to the growth of oral bacteria, leading to bad breath.
• Pregnancy: Pregnancy-related symptoms such as morning sickness (vomiting and nausea), thirst, and hormonal changes can cause temporary bad breath.

HOW TO GET RID OF BAD BREATH?

1- **Brushing Teeth and Tongue Cleaning:** Brushing teeth and cleaning the back of the tongue are taught. Oral hygiene is incomplete without tongue cleaning. Most bacteria that cause bad breath are found on the tongue. Therefore, to get rid of tongue coating, a tongue scraper or a toothbrush head with an internal tongue cleaner should be used every time teeth are brushed.

2- **Dental Flossing:** Dental flossing is taught. It is important to use dental floss after brushing teeth, or at least after dinner. Dental floss helps remove food particles from areas where the toothbrush cannot reach.
3- **Use of Alcohol-Free, Antiseptic Mouthwashes and Sugar-Free Chewing Gum:** The use of alcohol-free, antiseptic mouthwashes is recommended, as well as chewing sugar-free gum after meals. Additionally, natural antimicrobial plants such as mint leaves, cloves, and cinnamon can be chewed.
4- **Drinking Plenty of Water:** Drinking plenty of water is recommended. Drinking lots of water and keeping the mouth moist reduces the problem of dry mouth. To eliminate the bad smell that occurs in the dry mouth during sleep, rinsing the mouth several times with water and then drinking a few glasses of water to moisturize is recommended after brushing teeth in the morning.
5- **Consumption of Foods that Balance Acidic Environment:** Foods that balance the acidic environment in the mouth are recommended. Fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots, and celery not only clean the teeth with their fibrous content but also balance the oral pH.
6- **Improving Gut Health:** Improving gut health is recommended. Making appropriate changes in diet and lifestyle may be necessary to improve gut health.

✓ Limiting the consumption of foods rich in sugar, refined white flour, salt, saturated fat, and processed foods,
✓ Consuming foods rich in dietary fiber such as whole grains and brown rice,
✓ Choosing fresh fruit juices made from green vegetables and fruits instead of packaged / canned fruit juices,
✓ Avoiding carbonated and sugary drinks.
✓ Limiting the consumption of foods and beverages rich in artificial (white) sugar,
✓ Probiyotikler (sağlıklı bakteriler) açısından zengin, fermente gıdaların tüketilmesi: yoğurt, ayran, kefir
✓ Avoiding drinking chlorinated water
✓ Avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use
✓ Regular physical exercise is recommended to improve gut health.
✓ Dental tartar and plaque cleaning is performed.
✓ Root canal treatment and fillings are done.
✓ Removable dentures are removed. Removable dentures should be cleaned regularly and correctly every day.
✓ Bridges are removed and the substructure is cleaned.