“Is bad breath a sign of an underlying infection?”

Mouth odor can have many many causes. The fact that it happened "rather suddenly" means there may be an infection. If your husband has any crowns or bridge work and the tooth was root canaled, he may not have had any pain. If your husband hasn't been flossing, plaque, rotting food, bacteria, and toxins may have caused cavities to form around the gum line. Your husband needs to see his dentist. If your husband smokes, this can add to his problem. Patients have to floss and brush correctly daily. Our bodies fight the battle of our poor mouth care. Our immune system fights to protect our tooth supporting structures. But this immune system fight produces toxins that wear away our supporting structures. We have a band of tissue that is ATTACHED to each tooth. This keeps the food we eat from going down towards the roots of our teeth. The ATTACHED GINGIVA is strong. Once it is gone, the bone and membrane surrounding the tooth is easily attacked and destroyed. Plaque, rotting food particles, bacteria can't be be removed when this debris goes down next to tooth and hardens. That hard tartar you see above your gum line can also be collecting below your gum line once the ATTACHED GINGIVA is gone. This distruction below your gum line allows bacteria and their toxins to enter your blood vessels and carried through out your blood vessels and organs. It is a slow process. But time marches on and all of a sudden you have receding gums, possibly some loose teeth. You may also have blood pressure that you can't control and have borderline Diabetes II and you can't control your blood sugar levels. Gum disease is controlled with good home care. You need to see your dentist at regular visits. If you have been told you need to do better home care, ask how you should be flossing and brushing. If you are told you have gum disease, get that hardened material below your gum line removed. I hear patients say they don't have the money. Your health CAN'T AFFORD that you not do it. To get rid of gum disease, you have three options:

1. Antibiotics and scaling and root planing.
2. Surgical opening and removal of hardened debris and removal of infected gum tissue and modifications of the bone.
3. LANAP is the latest gum treatment. All gum disease is removed in one treatment. There is no cutting or sewing. LANAP STIMULATES your STEM CELLS. You grow your own alveolar bone, supporting tooth membranes and tooth covering cementum. You are given instructions of how you should be flossing and brushing. This treatment can last 5 years or more.

Any procedure taken care of will last. Have your husband see his dentist and take care of his problem.

Bad breath normally occurs from a buildup of bacteria, often from the Sulfur producing variety. While dentists often find bad breath coming from periodontal (gum) disease or tooth infections, in fact bad breath can often arise from any connection to the mouth, such as sinus drainage, tonsillitis, adenoids, stomach disorders, or lung disorders. A visit to your dentist will rule out purely dental origins, and if your teeth and jaws are normal, then you will need to seek out a physician to rule out other areas of the head and neck.

Could be. Check with a dentist with an X-ray and clinical exam and an antibiotic therapy such as prophylactic. If it fails, check with an MD for tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, post-nasal drip, severe mucous retention to pharyngeal area, etc.

Bad breath is most often a sign of post nasal drip.

Bad breath can come from an infection in the mouth. If it’s not a decayed tooth/teeth, then most bad breath, 80%-90%, comes from the tongue, and the rest from sinus drainage or reflux from the stomach. A few things that can help:

-use a tongue scraper (not just your tooth brush), brush the roof of your mouth, and your cheeks, too.
-stay hydrated, as dry mouth causes bad breath
-check your medications, hundreds of medications have a side effect listed as Xerostomia or dry mouth
-use an oral care system like Biotene that is designed to help with dry mouth
-ask your dental team about Xylimelts as that is another product we have had good success using for our patients.

Yes it’s possible. There are many reasons one of them could be infection it’s better to be examined by his dentist

That is only one of many causes of bad breath.

It could be the sign of an acute infection, chronic periodontal disease or could be an issuer with it coming from the gut. I would start with a dental visit

Bad breath can be caused by many things. It is a good idea to see a dentist to eliminate all dental causes like periodontal(gum) disease first. Bad breath can originate from the stomach or sinuses as well.

Not necessarily. Make sure he is practicing good oral hygiene, brushing twice a day, rinsing with mouth wash, brushing his tongue, flossing, etc. Visit your dentist every 6 months to make sure there is no underlying infection or cavities in his teeth.

This is often a sign of periodontal disease which is an infection of the gums that leads to loss of bone. If it is very bad and he is in pain it could be a sign of a more severe type of infection. Exam is recommended for proper diagnosis.