"People with bad breath" are increasing in mask life... How to prevent bad breath? [Explained by a dentist]

(*The photo is an image / PIXTA)

Recently, there are many patients who complain of bad breath. Older people used to be the majority, but now about half are men in their prime. There are various causes of bad breath, but one of them is wearing a mask for many hours during the day. Let's take a look at the relationship between masks and bad breath in the dental field and how to prevent bad breath. Dr. Takeyoshi Hashimura, director of Soccer Street Minami Dental Office, explains.

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What is the "smell coming from the oral cavity"?

Bad breath is roughly divided into "physiological bad breath" and "pathological bad breath". Physiological halitosis is caused by the lifestyle of the day, and halitosis increases when we wake up, when we are hungry, when we eat and drink, and when we are nervous. In women, estrogen hormones can increase bad breath during menstruation and pregnancy. Pathological halitosis includes periodontal disease, dental plaque, and tongue coating.

"Wearing a mask for a long time" worsens bad breath

Currently, we wear masks more frequently to prevent infection with the new coronavirus. Some will wear them all day long. Masks have proven superiority in preventing infection and are a very effective means, but what is often overlooked is that they prevent infection from the outside and at the same time block the leakage of bacteria from the oral cavity to the outside. Everyone has bad breath, and masks play a role of a dam to store the source of bad breath. A paper published in 2018 found that bacteria attached to the mask worn by surgeons began to adhere 2 hours after wearing and increased significantly in 4 to 6 hours. This experiment was conducted in an operating room, which was very clean and the bacteria migrated from the surface of the surgeon's body and multiplied. The same can be said for commonly used masks. It can be inferred that one of the reasons why male patients visit dental clinics because of their bad breath is related to wearing masks for a long time.

Be careful with cosmetics? Lipstick used for more than 6 months is a breeding ground for bacteria

A 2019 paper mentions lipstick contamination. It was announced that 81.3% of bacteria are attached to lipstick, which is a cosmetic product, even before use, and more bacteria have grown on lipstick that has been used for more than 6 months. The paper is aimed at dental hygienists, especially if the mask is used continuously while wet, bacteria can easily grow. This does not immediately lead to bad breath, but the possibility is not zero because there is something similar to the oral cavity recently attached to lipstick. There is also a risk of other infectious diseases, so caution is required.