What could be the cause of breath smelling like a burning rubber ?

Hello
Welcome to HCM
I went through your problem & would like to inform you that its gingivitis.I would like to tell you few common reasons for foul odor:-
-improper oral hygiene
-dry mouth or xerostomia
-gastric problem
-hormonal imbalance
-alcohol intake
Most common reason is improper oral hygiene.How many times you brush is not as important as how you brush.You hold your brush with 45 degree angulation to your teeth and give gentle strokes.
Change your brush every 3 months. Start using 0.2%chlorhexidine mouthwash once daily half an hour after brushing.Ask him to quit all bad habits for better results.
Also go for oral prophylaxis once every 6 months & start intake of citrous fruits.
Take Care

Regards
Dr.Neha

Hello and thank you for your question:
Burning rubber is a new one for me. Everyone has a different opinion on smells so I may conclude that it smells like something else. A few things I can think of
-Diabetes or atkins diet (low carb high protein) can lead to acetone breath which is very strong
-gingivitis/periodontits which to me smells like rotten raw chicken
-Coffee/tobacco that can have a pungeant smell
-tonsiliths (hard mineral deposites in the tonsils) these have a very strong odor
-a diet high in garlic, cumen, curry, onions tend to give off a strong odor

Most likely it's due to poor oral hygiene and needs to be addressed.

A lot of bacteria that causes halitosis or bad breath is on the top surface of the tongue. Have him brush his tongue in a back to forward fashion. Floss, brush and rinse with mouth wash daily. If the odor persists, suggest an evaluation with ENT for tonsiliths and to have diabetes ruled out with internal medicine.

Hope this helps.
Best regards and good health

Dr. Ward

Hello,

Thanks for posting your query.
From what you are describing I feel that your boyfriend has bad breath or halitosis. Bad breath can be caused due to many causes ranging from systemic diseases like diabetes, not drinking enough water, periodontal infections, sinusitis/ tonsillitis which causes a person to breathe from mouth,even certain food cause it. Having too many decayed teeth can also be a factor.
I would advise your boyfriend to go to a dentist . If there are no dental findings, visit to an ENT would be helpful.
Take Care

Dr.Sushma Rajesh

Most probable cause of bad breath including burning rubber smell is caused by improper oral hygiene and bad habits like tobacco chewing,smoking, alcohol intake, lots of intake of intense smelled food like garlic,onion,fish..etc.. being majority caused by deposits on teeth so he may undergo cleaning/oral prophylaxis by dentist.. (even some times third molar eruption/impaction can be the cause in 20-30yr age group despite of proper hygiene too..) and if then also his smell doesnt go he can go to gastroenterologist who will try to locate any other abdominal origin of the smell..
regarding smoking and chewing tobacco, stoppage of such habits then followed by cleaning will resolve problem completely.. tell him to use mouthwash after every meals and increase his water/fluid intake meanwhile to reduce the intensity of smell..

Hello Jeni,

Thank you for the query.

Bad breath smelling like burning rubber is also known as halitosis.

There are following reasons for bad breath-

1.Poor oral hygiene.
2.Tooth decay.
3.Gum diseases.
4.Food like garlic,onion.......
5.Smoking.
6.Crash dieting,low carbohydrate diet......
7.Medication like-nitrates,chemotherapy medication,phenothiazines......
8.Medical conditions like-diabetes,sinusitis,bronchitis,gastro-esophageal reflux disease.........etc........

So i would suggest you visit a dentist in your area and get the thorough check up done to rule out the cause and take a proper treatment accordingly.

Nothing to get worried.

Take care.

Dr.Gunjan Gupta

The only reason I can think of is smoking or chewing tobacco. Few of the cigars and local brands usually emit foul odour. If these are not the case of contention. Then you should simply go in for a gastric exam where endoscopy might help. But before all this his oral hygiene needs to be questioned. The right choice would be a cleaning with a dentist, a decent mouthwash then if it persists you need professional help.

Hi,

Thanks for asking the query,

After reading your clinical history i suppose that you are facing inflammation of gums known as Gingivitis, this occurs due to many reasons few are; poor oral hygiene, plague and calculus deposition, mouth breathing habit, depositions on tongue, dry mouth, hormonal imbalance , systemic diseases like diabetes leukemia, excessive eating of onions, garlic , smoking ,alcohol consumption.
I would suggest you to visit the Dentist and get thorough scaling and polishing done.
Maintain a good oral hygiene, use chlorhexidine mouthwash gargles tiwce daily.
Take complete balanced diet, drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated.

Hope this helps out.

Regards..

Hi,

Thanks for asking the query,

After reading your clinical history i suppose that you are facing inflammation of gums known as Gingivitis, this occurs due to many reasons few are; poor oral hygiene, plague and calculus deposition, mouth breathing habit, depositions on tongue, dry mouth, hormonal imbalance , systemic diseases like diabetes leukemia, excessive eating of onions, garlic , smoking ,alcohol consumption.
I would suggest you to visit the Dentist and get thorough scaling and polishing done.
Maintain a good oral hygiene, use chlorhexidine mouthwash gargles tiwce daily.
Take complete balanced diet, drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated.

Hope this helps out.

Regards..

hello and welcome,
how often your friend visit a dentist?
bad breath usually occurs due to improper oral hygiene maintenance.
there is a chance of plaque and food debris getting accumulated.
ther may be bleeding gums and gingivitis.
get a deep scaling done by your dentist.maintain good oral hygiene.brush your teeth twice daily.clean your mouth after every meals.use soft-bristled toothbrush,dental floss and chlorhexidine containing mouthwash to clean your teeth.visit dentist in every 6 months.
regards
DR.BINDIYA

I support Dr Amit Sharma's response. But one more point, a badly decayed tooth can also lead to such fetid odor in the mouth. Get his oral examination done. When the anaerobic bacterial flora in the oral cavity (which doesn't require oxygen to live) becomes very populous, it leads to extremely foul smell in the mouth. After complete oral prophylaxis, and treatment of any decayed tooth, ask him to use chlorhexidine gluconate based mouth wash, twice daily. To have a pleasant mouth odor, he should: 1) Brush his teeth twice daily in a correct method as described by dentist, 2) Rinse rigorously after every meal, and each snacks he consume, its advisable to use your finger to clean your teeth and gums while you rinse, as it helps to remove sticky items like chocolates, sweets, biscuits etc, which are not removed with plain squishing of water in your mouth. 3) Ask him to clean his tongue daily, which harbors bacterias that cause foul breath & taste.

Hello there ,

Thanks for writing your query,

Bad or fowl mouth odor is caused by number of reasons such as;

Poor oral hygiene , improper brushing techinques which lead to accumulation of food debris and bacterial plaque and calculus deposits deep in the gum pockets and root surfaces of the teeth .
bacterial plaque and calculus on the teeth gives fowl odor.

Gingivitis and periodontitis is another condition which leads to fowl mouth odor.

Ulceration when infected with bacterial or viral invasion may lead to fowl smell.

alcohol consumption alos promotes plaque deposition and gives fowl odor.

stomach reflux , GERD and other gastric problems may also lead to acidic mouth odor , you need to consult a physician to get the problem confirmed.

i hope this helps ,

take care.