Having bad breath, also called halitosis, is a major inconvenience that can cause uncomfortable situations. We’ll discuss in this blog the most common reasons for bad breath.
1. Poor Oral Hygiene will often cause bad breath
Brushing and flossing twice a day is not just to fight cavities and gum disease. The same bacteria that causes tooth decay and periodontal disease, also produce sulfuric byproducts that create bad mouth odors.
Mouth wash is a temporary solution because it just covers up the odors. The most common way to treat halitosis is with good oral hygiene. Don’t forget to visit the dentist at least twice a year for a check-up and cleaning to remove those tough calculus, plaque and stains from your teeth.
2. Bad Dental Work can cause Bad Breath
Good dental work should be easy to maintain with just flossing and brushing. If you have food stuck under your crown or filling after every meal, chances are that it should be redone. You should hear the floss snap when flossing between teeth, otherwise if the gap is too great you may have a place for food particles to get trapped.
If a tooth filling, crown, or veneer are constantly having food trapped after every meal this can cause bad breath as well as future cavities and gum disease.
Dental work that traps food and is difficult to clean can cause bad breath. Odors are caused by bacteria. When food stays under a crown or a filling that’s difficult to clean that increases greatly the amounts of bacteria in the mouth. Bad dental work can result in significantly worse oral smells.
3. Tobacco producs cause bad breath
Smoking cigarettes is possibly one of the worst habits a person can have. If you needed another reason to quit smoking. Smoking definitely causes bad breath. Smoking also causes chronic gum disease known as periodontitis. Tobacco also discolors your teeth turning them brown.
4. Dry Mouth Causes bad breath.
Many medications cause dry mouth as a side effect. Saliva is important in washing teeth and removing bacteria. When a mouth is dry the amount of bacteria in the oral cavity increases causing a malodor. People suffering from dry mouth also are more prone to cavities, since food particles are also not getting removed as well since saliva production is lacking. Talk to your physician about switching medications if you’re suffering from dry mouth. Also, drink plenty of water to help keep your mouth healthy.
5. Acid Reflux and Postnasal Drip cause bad Breath
Acid reflux will push digestive acid into the esophagus and the oral cavity that doesn’t belong there. Talk to your gastroenterologist if you believe you’re suffering from acid reflux. Often limiting acidic foods, coffee, and tomatoes can help as with acid reflux
Postnasal drip makes you feel like you need to clear your throat frequently. This is due to a thickened mucous. Symptoms may be a cough that just won’t go away. Consult with your physician for treatment.
6. Oral Infections can Cause Bad Breath
Infections in the mouth may include an abscess that’s draining pus. The infected tooth may need to be treated with a root canal or extracted to remove the abscess
Wisdom teeth are often difficult to keep clean. A wisdom tooth may cause a bad odor when food particles are trapped under the gum or due to deep cavities in the wisdom tooth. A wisdom tooth may develop a recurring gum infection called pericoronitis which is often painful. Consult with your dentist to find out if your wisdom teeth are causing halitosis.
