Bad breath, or halitosis, can have you reaching for chewing gum on a regular basis – but you should really be visiting your dentist instead. Dentists advise that if you suffer from bad breath to the point of not being comfortable in social situations, feeling anxious, and having a constant supply of mouthwash and chewing gum, it might be time to do some investigating.
While the cause of your bad breath could be entirely non-dental related, there’s every chance it could be as well. Therefore, there’s no time like the present to make an appointment to see your dentist today. In the meantime, we’ve covered some of the most common causes of bad breath below.
Poor Dental Hygiene
One of the most common causes of bad breath is a failure to take care of your oral health. If you don’t brush or floss your teeth daily as recommended by your dentist, you may find that you have bad breath more often than not. When you don’t brush your teeth, food particles become lodged in your teeth and a film of bacteria and plaque forms in your mouth. Over time, this plaque irritates your gums and can even lead to periodontitis.
Even if you have dentures, you’re still at risk of bad breath. If your dentures don’t fit properly or you don’t clean them regularly, they too can become laden with bacteria, with the result being bad breath.
Your Food Choices
If you love food featuring plenty of spices, or you could eat onion or garlic like it’s going out of fashion, you are more at risk of having bad breath than someone who doesn’t consume these foods. Upon digestion, spices enter your bloodstream before being transported to your lungs to affect your breath. Garlic and onion, on the other hand, have a strong flavour that lingers on your taste buds.
Smoking
When you smoke a cigarette, you’re leaving the door wide open for diseases of all kinds. However, while the odour of cigarette smoke lingers in your mouth for a while, it’s the added risk of gum disease that can cause the bad odour to become a permanent problem. Smoking can be both a temporary and permanent cause of bad breath.
Infections
If you have mouth sores, gum disease, tooth decay or you’ve recently had oral surgery, you have a high risk of getting an infection. While infections can be painful and uncomfortable, they also cause you to have bad breath. If you experience any oral discomfort, book in to see your dentist sooner rather than later.
Dry Mouth
Believe it or not, there is a condition called dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, which causes you to have morning-like breath, but all day. While you sleep, it’s not uncommon to wake up with a tacky, dry mouth. However, once you eat your breakfast and brush your teeth, your mouth begins to feel fresh once more.
If you suffer from dry mouth, you can experience this discomfort and odour all day. Suffering from xerostomia means you aren’t producing enough saliva to cleanse your mouth and remove food particles.
Thre are several different causes of bad breath, but you’re only going to know what’s causing yours by seeing a dentist. If you make an appointment, you’re able to rule out any serious causes before taking action on any dental work you may require.
