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

(* The photo is an image / FIFO)

Recently, many patients who complain of bad breath have come to the hospital. In the past, there were many elderly people, but now about half of them are working men. There are various causes of bad breath, one of which is that you wear a mask many times during the day. Let's take a look at the relationship between masks and bad breath and the prevention of bad breath in the field of dentistry. Dr. Takeyoshi Hashimura, Director of Minami Dental Office on Soccer Street, will explain.

[Related article] What is the cause of "too smelly and sick" with orthodontic mouthpieces? [Explanation by an active dentist]

What is "smell coming from the oral cavity"?

Halitosis is roughly divided into "physiological halitosis" and "morbid halitosis". Physiological bad breath is caused by the lifestyle of the day, and it increases when you wake up, when you are hungry, when you eat or drink, and when you are nervous. In women, estrogen hormones may increase bad breath during menstruation and pregnancy. Pathological bad breath includes periodontal disease, plaque, and tongue coating.

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

Today, we wear masks more often to prevent infection with the new coronavirus. Some people will wear it all day long. Masks have proven to be superior in preventing infections and are a very effective means, but what is often overlooked is that they prevent external infections and at the same time block bacteria from the oral cavity from leaking to the outside. Everyone has bad breath, and the mask acts as a dam to store the source of bad breath. A paper published in 2018 found that bacteria attached to masks worn by surgeons began to attach 2 hours after wearing and increased significantly 4-6 hours after wearing. This experiment was conducted in the operating room, and the operating room was very clean, with bacteria migrating from the surgeon's body surface and multiplying. The same can be said for commonly used masks. It can be inferred that long-term mask use is one of the factors that cause male patients to come to the dentist's office because of bad breath.

Be careful with cosmetics? Lipsticks that have been used for more than 6 months are hotbeds of bacteria.

The 2019 paper mentions lipstick contamination. It was announced that 81.3% of bacteria were attached to lipsticks, which are cosmetics, and that more bacteria were growing on lipsticks that had been used for more than 6 months. The paper is aimed at dental hygienists, and bacteria are more likely to grow, especially if you continue to use the mask when it is wet. This isn't immediately linked to bad breath, but the chances aren't zero because there's something similar to the oral cavity these days that has adhered to lipstick. Also, be aware that there is a risk of other infectious diseases.