I have suddenly developed very unpleasant breath without signs of dental/ oral hygiene issues. The condition came on following a cold , which as since resolved, and has remained for the past week. Mouth wash, tooth brushing, chewing gum . . . nothing seems to relieve the odor. Is it time for a visit to my GP or should I wait another week?
Hello there... This is a common complaint from the patients during the cold weather... When you have history of frequent cold/upper respiratory tract infection foul smell from the mouth is quite possible...problems like sinusitis and cold would lead to post nasal discharge that gets into your throat resulting in foul smell... Once the symptoms of sinusitis and cold are treated your problem of bad smell would regress.... When you have deposits getting accumulated over your teeth, the gums get inflamed and swollen.... There are millions of microorganisms in the oral cavity... As when you eat they start decomposing the food particles and that results in foul smell...get a thorough oral prophylaxis done and then can use mouth rinses to keep away from bad breadth...the above findings - cold and deposits over your teeth, might concurrently be present....then you have to get treated for both... I advise you to consume lots of water... Consult your dental surgeon for further clinical evaluation and management....