PRINTED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
January 26th, 2013
Bad Breath
There are several reasons why you might experience bad breath, or halitosis, with the most common cause being poor oral hygiene. When teeth are not brushed and flossed regularly or well enough, food debris will remain in the mouth and plaque will accumulate which leads to calculus build up. Calculus is the hard, chalk-like material that cannot be removed by brushing alone. When this is allowed to build up, it can lead to gum disease and one of the symptoms of gum disease is bad breath.
To get rid of bad breath, it may be as simple as changing your routine to ensure you are brushing your teeth twice a day (morning and last thing at night) and flossing regularly. You should brush for 2 minutes each time, with a fluoride toothpaste. This will ensure that all food particles and plaque is removed regularly. A mouth wash may also help. If you have not had a professional cleaning at the dentist for a while, this would also be recommended as this will remove any calculus that you cannot remove yourself. If you have any signs of gum disease such as bleeding, inflamed gums or pain as well as the bad odour, a dental visit is also required.
Another cause of bad breath is infection. You are likely to experience other symptoms as well, such as pain or swelling. Again a visit to the dentist is necessary which might result in you being prescribed a course of antibiotics or having an extraction.
Transitory bad breath can be caused by consuming strong smelling or tasting food for example, garlic, raw onion or blue cheese. This should require nothing more than brushing, flossing and rinsing to resolve. Alcohol- especially the morning after drinking the previous evening- can also cause bad breath. Tooth brushing and rinsing with mouth wash can certainly help reduce this.
I am often asked by parents of young children why they can sometimes have bad breath. In the absence of gum disease or infection, this may be due to ‘morning breath’. This is simply caused by mouth-breathing through the night (a common occurrence in younger children) which causes saliva to dry in the mouth and which leads to the smell. This is nothing to be concerned about and will fade soon after waking and certainly once the child’s teeth have been brushed in the morning.
Respiratory tract infections, such as colds, tonsillitis, sore throats, can cause bad breath. This will disappear once the infections have passed.
There are also systemic diseases that can cause bad breath such as stomach problems, reflux and lung infections. People with uncontrolled diabetes can suffer with ketoacidosis which can have associated bad breath. In the case of any of these illnesses the root problem should be treated and you should consult your treating doctor.
In summary, the majority of causes of bad breath can be reduced or eliminated by keeping your teeth and gums healthy through regular brushing and flossing and regular visits to the dentist.
