The cause of bad breath, known as halitosis, often is due to poor dental health habits. Halitosis can be the result of a person not taking proper care of his or her teeth. Sometimes it can be caused by other health problems.
If you eat foods that have strong odors, the odor of the foods won’t go away until you have digested the foods and they have passed through your body. Don’t be fooled into thinking the odors of the foods will be gone once you have brushed, flossed, and used mouthwash. These actions only cover up the odors, and they don’t get rid of the odors.
Proper Care of Your Teeth
By taking proper care of your teeth, you can be sure you most likely don’t have bad breath. Proper care of your teeth includes the following:
• You should brush your teeth twice every day with a fluoride toothpaste.
• You should floss your teeth once every day.
• When you brush your teeth, you should also brush your tongue. After brushing, you should rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash twice each day. If a person fails to brush and floss his or her teeth twice every day, food particles will remain in the person’s mouth. These food particles will promote the growth of bacteria between his or her teeth, on his or her tongue, and around the gums as well. Mouth odors for that person are the sad result of this. Bacteria in the person’s mouth can be reduced by the use of antibacterial mouth rinses.
It is also important to properly clean dentures every night in order to prevent the bacteria of food particles causing your breath to smell.
Causes of Mouth Odors
Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking and chewing tobacco may also cause your breath to smell. In addition to causing your breath to smell, these habits may stain a person’s teeth, irritate their gums, and also reduce their ability to taste. One of the following may cause mouth odors:
• Cavities
• Badly fitting dentures
• Yeast infections
• The medical condition of a dry mouth caused by a person’s mouth lacking saliva. This makes it impossible for him or her to neutralize plaque causing acids. The person is also unable to wash away the dead cells which accumulate on the cheeks, tongue, and gums. If these dead cells don’t decompose, they may cause your breath to smell bad.
• By not removing dentures every night and thoroughly cleaning them before putting them back
• Pneumonia and bronchitis infections
• Diabetes
• Acid reflux
• Kidney or liver problems
• Medications
• Sinus infections
• Gum disease which is caused by a plaque buildup on teeth Gum disease
Ways to Prevent Bad Breath
Besides taking proper care of your teeth, you should also do the
following:
1. Keep your mouth moist by drinking lots of water.
2. Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless candy. This will stimulate your production of saliva. The saliva will help to wash away particles of food and bacteria. The gums and mints that contain xylitol will do the best job.
3. Keep a list of the foods you eat to ask your dentist to review. Included in this list should be the medications you take as well. Sometimes, medications may create mouth odors.
Who Can Treat Mouth Odors
Your dentist or your family doctor may create a treatment plan which will eliminate your mouth odors. If the cause of your mouth odors is related to gum disease, your dentist may be the best person to give you a treatment plan. A periodontist specializes in the treatment of gum disease and would be someone you may wish to also consult with. If you live in the North Ogden, Utah area, you may wish to schedule an appointment with North View Dental.