Bad breath.
Halitosis.
No matter what you call it, living with bad breath isn’t pleasant. Not only is it uncomfortable to live with, but it can also do a number on your self-confidence!
Do you find yourself shying away from talking to people at work or in your social life on account of your breath?
If so, you’ve come to the right place – this week, your Armadale dentist takes a look at the causes of persistent bad breath, and how you can get your minty fresh breath back.
Why does my breath smell?
In the vast majority of cases, bad breath is the result of poor oral hygiene, and to a lesser extent, your diet.
You might be surprised by the types of food that can cause bad breath – your coffee habit might be inadvertently contributing to your breath problems!
However, let’s say you’ve already removed the usual suspects from your evening meal: maybe you avoid garlic, cut onions out of your diet and use mouth spray liberally.
But no matter how hard you try, you just can’t get the smell to go away.
In many cases, bad breath (or halitosis) goes deeper than the food you eat. What causes bad breath in these situations, and how can you avoid the anxiety that comes with embarrassing bad breath?
Bacteria causes bad breath
Pleasant breath is more than what you had for lunch – bacteria build-up is a vital part of the equation that often gets completely overlooked!
In many cases, gum disease is caused by the build-up of plaque.
Plaque is a type of bacteria that accumulates in your mouth if you don’t brush properly.
When it comes to how your mouth smells, plaque and bad breath are quite the duo!
That’s why it’s important to take measures to fight the build-up of plaque in your mouth, the first being a comprehensive dental hygiene routine.
Fighting plaque doesn’t just stop your breath from smelling – it can also fight the onset of gum disease like gingivitis, itself a common cause of bad breath!
What do your teeth have to do with bad breath?
While we’re on the topic of gum disease, tooth decay is another often-overlooked contributing factor to halitosis.
Cavities in particular don’t exactly smell pleasant!
The signs of tooth decay are easy to miss for untrained eyes, and often only become obvious when significant decay has already taken place. Just another reason why regular dental check-ups are critical!
In other cases, the inside of a tooth can become infected as well! Tooth decay can expose the sensitive dental pulp inside a tooth to infection – and just like tooth decay, this can cause a nasty odour.
Other conditions that can lead to bad breath
These aren’t the only sources of bad breath. Other things that might be keeping your mouth from smelling fresh include:
- Pneumonia
- Bronchitis
- Sinus infections
- Acid reflux
- Diabetes
How can you get that fresh breath back?
Brushing, of course… but flossing, too!
What do bacteria build-up and tooth infections have in common?
Both of them can be prevented with a thorough dental hygiene routine!
The spaces between your teeth can be difficult to reach – if food manages to slip into these gaps, it can remain in your mouth, promoting bacteria growth between your teeth, in your gums and on your tongue.
Moreover, food that’s stuck between your teeth can cause nasty scents to linger for much longer.
Is it any wonder dentists around the world are such big fans of flossing?
Plaque on the tongue can also be causing bad breath. The use of a tongue scraper – in conjunction with good tooth brushing and interproximal cleaning can make the biggest change to halitosis!
Mouth wash
At Dental Care Group, we are not big fans of mouthwash.
They are indiscriminate and may kill good and bad bacteria.
Get treatment for tooth decay
In cases where bad breath is the result of tooth decay, make sure you see your local dentist today.
Dental experts like the team at Dental Care Group will help you diagnose your tooth problems and offer treatments that fix your teeth and get rid of bad breath.
If you suffer from cavities, restorative procedures can stop the tooth decay and get your breath smelling minty fresh once again.
And in cases of infections inside a tooth, endodontic treatments like root canal surgery can remove the infection and smell – all while keeping your tooth!
Fight back against bad breath with Dental Care Group!
Fortunately, in most cases bad breath clears out with a change in diet.
If bad breath persists however, it could be symptomatic of one of the above conditions.
Whether you need advice creating a comprehensive dental hygiene routine, to something as drastic as a root canal, consider talking to a qualified dental hygiene expert today.
Our dentist in Armadale, Dr Zelman Lew and the team at Dental Care Group have been helping patients get their minty fresh breath back for over 25 years.
Say goodbye to bad breath – get in touch with our team to book your first appointment!
Call us on (03) 9509 1500 or book your appointment online today!
