Bad Breath causes Today we’re going to talk about an embarrassing condition: bad breath.
It’s not something we like to think about, but it is also not a condition that we can ignore easily.
So what causes bad breath and, more to the point, what can we do about it?
The studies show that about 80% of bad breath comes from an oral source. For instance, cavities or gum disease can lead to bad breath, as can tonsils that have trapped food particles; cracked fillings, and less-than-clean dentures.
Our mouth is home to 50 varieties of bacteria and only handful of these produce sulfur gases which caused odorthatwe associate with bad breath.
Some of these bacteria live in the crevices of your tongue particularly towards the back.
While other thrive in the pockets between your teeth and your gums.
Some live on your palate, surface of your teeth and inside of your cheeks.
With so much going on in your mouth, it is easy to see how a problem of bad breath might arise, unfortunately it is often very difficult to tell if your own breath is offensive but if you suspect you have a bad breath problem and wondering what you can do about it.
Your dentist may have an answer.
Dental professionals are an experts at identifying the source of the problems and that includes bad breath.
Once they have identified what’s going on, they will be able to create a breath therapy program that will leave you feeling assured and self-confident again.
Fortunately, this problem is often easy to fix. What helps: Good oral hygiene, regular visits to your dentist, and ruling out any underlying conditions or other factors (such as some medications, diets, and foods) that could make your breath less than pleasant.
Good oral hygiene also is key to fighting bad breath. Ideally, you should brush and floss after every meal to help reduce the odor-causing bacteria in your mouth. A regular toothbrush works just as well as an electric toothbrush does. But an Electric Toothbrush is recommended for two reasons.
First, because many electric toothbrushes have timers on them and the majority of people do not brush their teeth for the right length of time.
And secondly, because electric toothbrushes distribute a uniform motion, which helps remove plaque more efficiently than when the patients use manual toothbrushes.
Some mouthwashes or mouth rinses can help prevent cavities and reduce bacteria-causing plaque and fight bad breath. Stick to an antiseptic or antibacterial rinse that kills bacteria, rather than a cosmetic rinse that just focuses on freshening the breath.
Here are some more ways to banish bad breath – hopefully for good. • Stay hydrated. If you can’t brush your teeth after a meal, drinking a lot of water can help speed up the process of cleaning harmful bacteria and debris from between your teeth. Drinking milk can even help deodorize some offensive breath odors. Avoid sugary drinks.
• Don’t drink too much coffee. It may be tasty, but coffee is a tough smell to get off the back of your tongue. Consider switching to an herbal or green tea.
• Don’t smoke or use other tobacco products. Cigarettes, pipes, and snuff can foul your breath. “Smoking can give people horrible breath and some people carry this stuff worse than others.”
• Cut back on alcohol. Alcohol can lead to a dry mouth. Too much beer, wine, and hard liquor can make your breath reek for up to eight to 10 hours after you finish drinking, Woodall says.
• Chew sugarless gum. Doing so 20 minutes after a meal can help with saliva flow. Gum that’s 100% xylitol-sweetened can help reduce cavities, but it’s also “kind of cooling and gives you really nice fresh breath.
• Be careful with breath mints. Sugar-free mints are OK for a quick fix but only mask the offensive smell and don’t do anything to remove harmful bad bacteria. In case of a sugary mint, the sugar will only sit on your teeth and make the problem worse.
