It can be extremely embarrassing to have and even more embarrassing to tell someone you love or work with that they suffer from bad breath.
Some people eat mints or chew gum to mask the smell but this doesn't deal with the underlying problem.
Dealing with these causes can be simpler than you think and will avoid those very difficult conversations.
2.4% of the population suffer from bad breath so you are not alone.
What causes Bad Breath (Halitosis)?
Bad Breath is caused by sulphur based bacteria that live in your mouth. Bad Breath can be caused by a number of different factors:
POOR ORAL HYGIENE Brushing and flossing your teeth regularly will stop food from being trapped in between your teeth causing bad breath. Food particles and bacteria can become trapped between the gum and the teeth causing an infection known as periodontitis. Your tongue can also harbor bacteria which causes bad breath so regularly brushing it can help. Regularly cleaning dentures also prevents the build up of bacteria.
FOOD Certain foods can also lead to short term bad breath Ie. garlic, onion and spices
SMOKING Smoking causes bad breath and also leads to gum disease.
DRY MOUTH Dry mouth can contribute to bad breath as the lack of saliva is not washing away food particles which is leading to bacteria building up the mouth. Dry mouth can be caused by some medications and certain diseases.
INFECTIONS Infections of the mouth, tonsils, throat and sinuses can all cause bad breath due to the build up of the bad bacteria.
OTHER CAUSES Some cancers, metabolic disorders and chronic stomach reflux can also cause bad breath
What to do about Bad Breath?
BRUSH AND FLOSS It is important when treating or preventing bad breath to brush your teeth twice a day and floss once per day. This will remove the build up of sulphur based bacteria which cause bad breath and help periodontial disease (gum disease).
VISIT THE DENTIST Ensure you have great oral hygiene and are looking after your teeth. A visit to the dentist will allow you to have a professional clean done to remove any calculus or tartar build up. It will also check for any decay, gum disease or infections in the mouth all contributing to bad breath.
TONGUE Since the tongue can harbor bacteria as well is is important to give your tongue a gentle brush daily. You can use your tooth brush an gently brush from the back forward or you can also use specially designed tongue scrapers to do the job.
QUIT SMOKING Quitting smoking will improve your bad breath and has additional health benefits as well.
DRINK WATER Drinking water will allow food particles to be rinsed away before they cause any problems. Water will also help with dry mouth for those affected.
MOUTH RINSES Some mouth rinses can control sulphur based bacteria in the mouth (not just mask the bad breath with some mint). We recommend the use of Closys mouth rinse twice daily to control bad breath - and it works really well!
You can purchase Closys mouth rinse 473ml is $33.95
If you have any further questions regarding bad breath or any other dental question please give us a call or send us a message, we would love to help.