Causes of Bad Breath and What You Can Do About It?
Here are 5 common causes of bad breath:
Poor oral hygiene.
Certain types of oral bacteria cause bad breath, and the mouth provides a perfect environment for them—especially when dental plaque and food debris is not well cleansed. So to keep your breath fresh, maintain a diligent oral hygiene routine. This includes brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing at least once a day. For an extra-clean mouth, use a tongue scraper—a plastic tool about the size of a toothbrush that’s available in most drug stores. This will remove bacteria and food debris from your tongue for extra freshness.
Oral diseases.
Bad odors in your mouth may also be caused by infections—which is what tooth decay and gum disease actually are. Sometimes old fillings wear out, allowing bacteria to re-infect a tooth that was once treated for decay. Other signs of these common oral diseases include tooth pain and bleeding or puffy gums. If you notice any of these, don’t ignore it—make a dental appointment today!
Diet
Smelly foods will give you smelly breath; it’s that simple. And the odors may linger after you have eaten them. When onion, garlic and other pungent foods are digested, their odor-producing substances enter your bloodstream and proceed to your lungs—which can affect how your breath smells. If you suspect your dietary habits are causing bad breath, try eliminating certain foods (at least temporarily) and see if that helps.
Dry mouth
Saliva helps cleanse your mouth, so reduced saliva flow can lead to bad breath. This accounts for “morning breath,” which is caused when the mouth dries out during sleep (especially if you are a mouth-breather). However, some people don’t produce enough saliva throughout the day. Sometimes it’s just that they don’t drink enough water. But a very common cause of chronic dry mouth is regular use of medications, both prescription and over-the-counter. If you notice that medication is drying out your mouth, let your doctor know. And stay hydrated!
Smoking
Given that smoking increases your risk for many serious diseases, including oral cancer, the fact that it can lead to bad breath seems almost trivial. Still, it’s worth noting that smoking causes mouth odor both directly and indirectly by reducing the flow of saliva and promoting gum disease. In fact, tobacco in all forms is a hazard to your health.
Medical Causes of Bad breath?
Only 10% of cases of bad breath are medical. Some medical causes include:
– The catarrh that is produced from a throat or chest infection.
– Infections of the throat, nose and lungs such as bronchitis or sinusitis.
– Low carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins diet.
– Dry mouth (xerostomia): a condition that affects the flow of saliva and leads to a build-up of bacteria in the mouth.
– Diabetes.
– Liver or kidney problems.
– Gastritis and food reflux.
We can treat you for 90% of cases that are related to dental hygiene. If we rule out dental causes, we’ll refer you to your family GP or to a specialist to find out the cause.
Bad Breath FAQ
How do I know if I have halitosis?
It can be difficult to know whether you have bad breath or not. Bad breath tends to be noticed by other people first, and it may be difficult for them to tell you that you have it without embarrassing you. Or themselves. You could ask a friend or family member to be candid with you.
There is a simple test that you can do. It’s a little unscientific but it does seem to work. Lick the inside of your wrist. Smell it. If it doesn’t smell fresh, it’s likely that your breath doesn’t smell fresh.
But don’t despair, in 90% of cases it’s related to oral health and this is something that we can resolve together.
I am embarrassed to visit you
This is undoubtedly a touchy subject. We are sensitive as to how our patients might be feeling and are well practised in putting them at ease. We know that bad breath can be socially crippling and we’d hate to feel that embarrassment was preventing our patients from treating the issue and feeling confident. We are professionals and will have successfully treated patients with far worse conditions.
In feedback from some patients, they say that their relief at getting a solution completely outweighs any embarrassment they were feeling.
We don’t judge and we just want you to get it treated and move on.
I have morning breath but it disappears soon as I’ve brushed my teeth. I assume this is type of bad breath is normal?
Yes, this is normal. Most people find that their breath smells a little stale in the morning. There are 2 reasons. Firstly, your mouth dries up overnight. And secondly, the flow of saliva, that washes away food particles, slows down when you sleep.
Overnight, food residue, that is trapped in your mouth, is broken down by bacteria. They release an unpleasant, stale smell. Once you wake up and brush your teeth and start eating again, the flow of saliva increases again.
I have a thick coating at the back of my tongue?
This is usually a bacterial coating and can be a cause of bad breath. We can recommend a tongue cleaner which is designed to help remove the bacteria coating from it. Once the bacteria are removed, there should no longer be any smell.
My floss smells. Is this bad breath?
Bad breath bacteria live all through the mouth, gums, throat and nasal areas. If you floss infrequently, bacteria will build up at your gum line. This can certainly contribute to breathing issues.
What should I do before visiting you?
If you think you may have bad breath, try to keep a diary of all the foods you eat and list any medicines you are taking. This will help us to treat the problem.
If possible, try not to mask the problem with mouthwash before you visit us. It may make it harder for us to help you.
What is the best way to combat bad breath?
There are a number of effective ways to combat bad breath (halitosis).
- Drinking more water is one of the easiest ways to help alleviate halitosis.
- Contrary to what advertisers would like us to believe, sugary gum, breath mints, and candies don’t get rid of bad breath; they actually worsen bad breath by feeding the bacteria that cause bad breath, so it is wise to avoid them.
- By far the best way to control bad breath is by having a clean, healthy mouth. This means regular visits to your dentist and frequent professional cleanings.
- – Brush your teeth at least twice a day using fluoride toothpaste. We are strong advocates of electric toothbrushes.
- – Spend a minimum of two minutes brushing your teeth. Try to cover all areas, especially where the teeth meet the gum.
- – Floss between your teeth to remove any trapped food
- – Use an anti-sceptic mouthwash (just before bedtime)
- – Regular check-ups and cleaning appointments.
- I have found that using Oxyfresh® products also have been very successful. They do not contain alcohol and are very effective in killing the bacteria that cause odor as well as deodorizing the mouth.
- Use a tongue cleaner to lightly brush the back of your tongue
- I have found the Oxyfresh® Oolitt tongue scraper to be helpful and more effective than a toothbrush for tongue cleaning.
Lifestyle changes for sweet breath
– Eat breakfast.
– Eat a healthy, balanced diet and try to cut down on strongly flavoured or spicy food
– Reduce your alcohol intake
– Drink plenty of fluids and cut down on coffee.
– Chew sugar-free gum. A dry mouth can lead to bad breath and chewing gum can help stimulate saliva.
– Avoid sugary snacks between meals. This will help reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth.
– Clean your mouth after eating milk products, fish and meat
If bad breath is not caused by a problem in the mouth, we will refer you to your GP for further investigation.
We’re here to help!
We have been providing expert and affordable comprehensive dental care in Melbourne CBD for over three decades to restore smiles and improve oral health. Call us today at 9629-7664 to schedule your evaluation and start smiling again!
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