Bad breath, medically termed halitosis, can be annoying and may even lead to anxiety. Certain foods, health conditions and unhealthy lifestyle habits are among the causes of bad breath.
Causes
- Food. When food particles breakdown in your mouth that can raise bacteria and lead to foul odor. Consuming foods, like onions, garlic and spices, even can generate bad breath. After you digest these foods, they get inside your bloodstream and are carried to your lungs. This can affect your breath.
- Tobacco products. Smoking of course has its own displeasing mouth odor. Smokers and tobacco users tend to have gum disease- another source of bad breath.
- Poor oral hygiene. If you don’t brush, food particles stay in your mouth, producing bad breath. A colorless, sticky film of bacteria (plaque) builds on your teeth. Plaque can irritate your gums and ultimately advance to form periodontitis (awful gum disease). Consistent bad breath can be a sign of Periodontitis. Your tongue can even trap bacteria that cause odors. Dentures that aren’t cleaned well or don’t fit precisely can harbor odor-producing bacteria and food particles.
- Dry mouth. Saliva moistens your mouth and washes away particles. A dry mouth can cause bad breath since production of saliva is reduced. Chronic dry mouth can be caused by an issue with your salivary glands and certain diseases.
- Medications. Certain medications can indirectly generate bad breath by contributing to dry mouth. While others can be broken down in the body to generate chemicals that can be carried on your breath.
- Infections in your mouth. Surgical wounds can also cause bad breath. These are wounds caused after oral surgery, or result of tooth caries, gum problems or mouth sores.
- Crash diets: Fasting and low-carbohydrate consuming routines can release bad breath. Breakdown of fats generate chemicals known as ketones that have a powerful aroma.
- Other mouth, nose and throat conditions. Bad breath can sometimes emerge from small stones that build in the tonsils. They are usually covered with bacteria that generate odor. Infections or chronic inflammation in the sinuses, nose, or throat can lead to bad breath.
- Other causes. Diseases, like certain cancers, liver failure can result in particular breath odor. This is due to the chemicals they release. Bad breath in kids can be caused by a foreign body, like a piece of food, stuck in a nostril.
How Bad Breath is treated?
Now, if you’re surfing your web for the best ‘Dentist near me’ in WI, to treat your bad breath, then surely visit our office at Thousand Oaks Dentistry!
In maximum cases, your dentist can treat the cause of bad breath. Your dentist will perform an oral exam and do a Dental Cleaning. If the odor is caused from gum disease, your dentist can either treat or refer you to a Periodontist.
What Can I Do to Prevent Bad Breath?
- Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste. And clean the tongue, too.
- Change your toothbrush every 2-3 months.
- Floss once daily.
- Use an antibacterial mouthwash.
- Dentures should be cleaned thoroughly before being placed the next day.
- Quit smoking and chewing tobacco-based items.
- Stay hydrated. You can also go for sugar-free chewing-gums.
- Visit your dentist regularly — at least twice a year.
