Bad breath (halitosis) is a common complaint but one that shouldn’t be ignored. Most of the time bad breath can be treated with a few simple adjustments to your oral care regime.
First of all, you need to identify what is causing your bad breath.
If you haven’t been to the dentist for a while then you should make this a priority. Bad breath can be a sign of tooth decay or gum disease and it is important that these causes are treated as soon as possible to stop them from progressing further.
Visiting the dentist will also provide you with an assessment of your overall oral health and your dentist will advise you on the most suitable home care regime for you.
There are three main causes of bad breath.
1) External causes
This is generally something that you do or consume. Certain foods such as garlic and onions are well known for causes bad breath. Also, things such as smoking can leave your mouth tasting and smelling foul.
2) Oral Health
Many people mistakenly give their teeth a quick twice a day and think that this will be enough to keep bad breath at bay. Whilst brushing your teeth may refresh the mouth by using minty toothpaste the main purpose of brushing is to rove all soft plaque deposits and food debris. If your mouth starts to feel foul later in the day after brushing this is a sign you could be missing out on cleaning vital areas. A good dental health regime combines effective toothbrushing and interdental cleaning. Over a third of your tooth surfaces are in between the teeth so if you’re not cleaning between your teeth using either floss or interdental brushes then you are leaving behind plaque and food which is going to breed bacteria and cause a pong.
3) Medical conditions
Bad breath can be caused by an underlying medical cause for that, such as throat, nose or lung infections and sinusitis, bronchitis or diabetes.
Here are our top tips for keeping your breath fresh:
• Brush your teeth and gums at least twice a day for 2 minutes
using a fluoride toothpaste
• Gently clean your tongue once a day ideally using a tongue scraper but if you don’t have one of these then your toothbrush will do fine for now.
• Clean between your teeth with floss or interdental brushes or at least once a day
• Get regular dental health checks
• Keep dentures clean and remove them at night
• Use sugar-free mints or chewing gum after consuming food and drinks
• Try using an antibacterial mouthwash at a different time to brushing to keep bacteria at bay
Find out more about how our Leicester dentists can help you to have fresh breath…
