Bad breath, or halitosis as your dentist may call it doesn’t have one single cause. Instead, it can be one of several things. If you’re starting to notice that your breath doesn’t have a particularly pleasant odour, then it’s time to narrow down the options and find out why. These possibilities below may be worth investigating
Food
Think back to your diet and the foods you eat the most often. Do garlic and onion form a significant part of it? Any ingredients with strong odours will end up dancing around on your palate for some time, with mouthwash, brushing, and flossing, only masking it temporarily. You will have to wait until the food passes through your body until your bad breath stops being a problem. Alternatively, you can cut such food out of your diet.
Poor Oral Health Regime
When you go to the dentist, they know whether you have been flossing and brushing your teeth regularly. When you don’t, bacteria grows between your teeth, on your tongue, and in your gums. Food particles also stay in your mouth. This combination causes bad breath. If you’re a smoker, it’s bad for your oral health and your breath too. What’s more, bad breath can be a sign of early gum disease.
Health Conditions
If not even chewing gum or mints can mask the odour of your breath, then there might be something wrong. Oral yeast infections, cavities, and dry mouth might be to blame, but medical conditions such as diabetes, bronchitis, sinus infections, and acid reflux are also known to affect your oral health too.
What to Do About Bad Breath?
If you find yourself struggling to combat bad breath and it’s beginning to affect your life, then it’s time to act sooner rather than later. Your first port of call should be your dentist. They will be able to rule out or diagnose any oral health-related issues that could be causing it. They can also suggest methods for stopping it from being a problem in the future.
Your dentist might suggest brushing twice per day, including your tongue, and replacing your brush every three months. Removing food from between your teeth with floss and using a mouth rinse could also be another way in which to combat it.
Your dentist will also recommend a return visit. Twice-yearly visits are common for dental care, and during these appointments, they can perform an oral exam, clean your teeth, and ensure everything is as it should be.
You may also like to drink more water during the day, suck on sugar-free lollies to promote saliva production and stay away from odour-rich foods like garlic and onions. Stamping out a cigarette habit can clear up bad breath too.
Bad breath affects everyone from time to time, but it’s essential to identify the source. Make an appointment with your dentist for a thorough oral health check to help speed up this process.
