A lot of times, bad breath can be a good sign that you need to get to your Federal Way family dentistry. It’s common knowledge that gum disease and tooth rot are some of the best ways to make your friends want to stand upwind of you when you talk. However, if your brushing and flossing routine is immaculate and you still have people complaining about your breath, it may be time to consider a different source. After all, contrary to popular belief, halitosis does not always point to a problem in your mouth.
The first thing to do is to consider your diet. Certain things you eat, or fail to eat, can release bad-smelling substances into your lungs and spoil your breath at the source. Garlic and onions, though otherwise very healthy for you, are some of the bigger offenders here. Diets rich in meat and fat, alcohol, and certain kinds of fish, can also contribute. There is even a phenomenon called “hunger breath” that happens when you diet or aren’t getting enough protein; as the body needs to digest the proteins stored in your fat, it releases foul odors in your lungs.
If you’ve considered all of these, and you still can’t pinpoint the source of your room-clearing exhalations, then it might be time to see a doctor. In some of the worse cases, halitosis can point to an infection in the lungs, liver, or kidneys that you will need to have checked out by a medical professional.
