How to Get Rid of Embarrassing Bad Breath

Bad breath is incredibly embarrassing, and no one wants to think they have halitosis! However, most of us will have bad breath occasionally, usually from eating something like garlic or onions. Other causes of bad breath in Courtice include poor oral hygiene, dental disease or undiagnosed medical conditions. Some of the most common causes of bad breath include:

Food

Food is a primary source of bad breath, and once the food is eliminated from your body, your halitosis should disappear. Low-carb diets can cause something called “ketone breath” where the body burns fat as an energy source. The end product created from this process is ketones and which create a fruity almost acetone like odour when exhaled. In diabetics, a fruity odour can indicate poorly controlled blood sugars.

Smoking and Other Tobacco Products

Using tobacco products and smoking is well-known for causing halitosis. Smoking also increases the risk of other problems that can cause bad breath, including gum disease and oral cancers.

Poor Oral Hygiene and Untreated Dental Disease

Failing to clean your teeth thoroughly and regularly and failing to floss once-a-day can cause bad breath as food debris, and dental plaque will remain in your mouth. Food particles trapped between your teeth can quickly begin to rot, causing unpleasant odours. Poor oral care allows plaque to build up over your teeth and which quickly hardens into calculus or tartar. The bacteria in plaque and calculus irritate the gums, eventually causing gum disease. Untreated gum disease in Newcastle will cause bad breath and especially when well advanced. Other problems like tooth decay or impacted teeth can cause halitosis.

Dry Mouth

A lack of saliva causes dry mouth or xerostomia. You need saliva to moisten and cleanse your mouth and to keep it comfortable. Dry mouth can be caused by medications or health problems, or by mouth breathing. When dry mouth is a problem, there are various things you can do to keep your mouth moister and more comfortable. It’s helpful to make sure you drink plenty of water and sucking sugar-free candies or chewing sugar-free gum can stimulate the production of saliva. Eating foods that need to be chewed thoroughly will help keep saliva flowing, for example, apples and carrots. We can also talk to you about saliva substitutes available over-the-counter or by prescription.

When to See Your Dentist?

If you think you have halitosis, it’s best to come and see us here at West Bowmanville Family Dental. You should definitely book a dental visit if you have sores in your mouth or difficulty or pain when chewing or swallowing, or if you have broken teeth or dental pain. Our Clarington dentist can assess your oral health to see if you have any underlying dental problems that require treatment. Usually, correcting these problems will freshen your breath considerably and will protect your smile too! We will almost certainly recommend a hygiene appointment as most people benefit from having their teeth cleaned professionally every six months. If your oral hygiene could do with some help, our hygienist can work directly with you to improve your daily brushing and flossing routine. We can discuss the best tools for you to use and can show you some new techniques for flossing your teeth effectively.

If we can’t find any reason for your bad breath, we may suggest you visit your GP just in case you have an undiagnosed medical problem. Also, if dry mouth is a side-effect of medications, it could be worth seeing your GP to discuss is there are alternative medications that don’t have the side-effect. It’s critical to talk to them first as you should never stop taking medicines without medical advice.

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