Halitosis, or bad breath is not only embarrassing but it serves as a health warning as well. It indicates that there is a problem in your teeth, gums or mouth. It could mean you have a gum problem, a decaying tooth or you simply need to put more effort into your oral hygiene. But whatever it is, it’s your mouth’s way of calling your attention.
Having bad breath will give you social problems. How can you gain friends when everytime you open your mouth to talk, people take a step back. They begin to associate you with poor grooming.
What’s worse than having a bad breath is not knowing you have it. If a friend or another family member tells you about it, be grateful they did rather than finding out from other people. When you talk to people, observe and see if they start stepping back.
A lot of oral hygiene products like toothpaste, mouthwash or breath mints promises to get rid of your bad breath instantly. However if there is something wrong with your teeth, gums or mouth, these products will never work. What you need is to go to a dentist and have them check what really is wrong in your mouth.
Sometimes, when you eat you may notice that your food tastes different or you could smell something bad coming from your mouth. Food particles may be stuck between your teeth and this causes the odor. They may also be stuck below the gumline. That’s why brushing and flossing after meals is important. They work together. Brushing alone is not enough. Flossing alone won’t do the trick. Flossing can remove food particles in areas where the toothbrush can’t reach.
When you clean your teeth, don’t forget your tongue. Use a toothbrush with a tongue scraper or simply brush your tongue. Bacteria can accumulate in your tongue and cause bad breath. If you’re wearing removable artificial teeth, make sure you take them off and clean them before sleeping.
If you don’t treat bad breath now, it will develop into a more serious dental concern. If food particle is left in your mouth, they allow bacteria to breed, eventually rotting your teeth. The presence of bacteria causes bad smell.
What if you diligently brush your teeth and floss but still you develop halitosis? Most probably you’re teeth have grown so close to each other that the bristles of your toothbrush can hardly clean between them. This leaves food particles to rot and smell bad. If you are using dentures, make sure they fit well, leaving no space for food to get stuck.
Bad breath can also be caused by an underlying condition you have like a gastrointestinal disease, sinusitis, a kidney problem or liver disease.
If you want to figure this out on your own, note down what you’ve eaten. Check if maybe your breath only smells bad after eating food with strong odor like garlic. If food is the only thing causing it, it will subside after some time. If for example you notice the foul smell when you breathe, then probably the problem is with your lungs.
Sometimes going through a lifestyle change like dieting can also cause bad breath when fat and protein is changed into the energy our body needs. It may also be caused by a prescription you’re taking. Take note of all this, so you could share this information with your dentist and you could get professional advice.
Do you feel like your mouth is always dry? One of the uses of saliva is that it washes our mouth. But some people suffer from dry mouth. If this is the case, drink lots of water and always have a sugar free candy ready. This should enable your mouth to simulate production of saliva.
If you feel like you’ve done all that you know should be done to combat halitosis but the problem doesn’t go away, it’s time you pay your dentist a visit. He can check if the problem is in your mouth and it’s something he can help you with or if he needs to refer you to a medical physician or specialist.
Regular dental visits keep your teeth, gums and mouth healthy. It exposes dental concerns that may not be visible to us, patients. And they could work to fix the problem before it worsens; including bad breath.
