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WHAT CAUSES BAD BREATH?

Are you happy that you have the perfect set of pearly whites? What if your mouth emits bad breath? Dental health is much more than just having the perfect set of white teeth. Along with the appearance, the healthiness of teeth and gums is essential for overall oral health. Bad breath is one of the major concerns in maintaining good oral health. Let’s find out more about bad breath and what are the causes for bad breath.

Bad breath is also medically termed halitosis and is an indicator of poor oral hygiene. Though you can temporarily hide it by consuming the mouth fresheners, mints and flavored chewing gums, bad breath could be an early sign of a severe dental disorder. Moreover, bad breath becomes a reason for embarrassment, and you hesitate to speak and socialize with people. As a result, your confidence keeps dropping gradually. Though an oral or dental defect, bad breath can impact your mental health as well as you start feeling inferior about yourself.

What are the causes for Bad Breath?

Poor hygiene happens to be one of the major causes of bad breath. Let’s find in detail what are the causes of bad breath and how to overcome it.

1. Poor Dental Hygiene
Brushing and flossing the teeth are always considered to be the basic essential steps of dental hygiene. When you consume food, the sugary and sticky components of food tend to stick in between the teeth. The minute food particles stick in between the teeth and the bad bacteria in the mouth feed on them. These bacteria form a thin, sticky film on the teeth known as plaque which extends to the gum line and further harden to form blackish tartar. The plaque and tartar discharge bad odors from the mouth, and along with the teeth, the tongue also traps bacteria and adds to the bad odor. Till now, we were discussing natural teeth, but if you have artificial dentures placed in the mouth and do not clean them regularly, these dentures also accumulate bacteria and cause bad breath.
Solution: Brush and floss your teeth twice a day and rinse your mouth with mouthwash to remove the food particles stuck in between the teeth. If there are no food particles, there is no bacterial settlement.

2. Dry Mouth
Saliva in the mouth is the natural defense against bacteria as it prevents plaque formation. Consumption of a few foods and drinks and habits like smoking reduces saliva production, leaving the mouth dry. When your mouth gets dried, bacteria forms plaque, and you know the consequences. When you sleep, your mouth becomes dry, and if you sleep with your mouth open, the dryness gets worsened indeed. This is the reason for bad ‘morning breath’. However, when you brush your teeth in the morning, the plaque formed is removed.
Solution: Keep your mouth hydrated with water. Water is the best beverage while the other hot and cold beverages will only spoil your dental health. Avoid sleeping with your mouth open, and also get rid of your snoring habit.

3. Food Habits
Consumption of certain foods like onions, garlic, radish and meat cause a bad odor in the mouth due to the breakdown of these food particles in the mouth. If you consume these foods, rinse your mouth with mouthwash so that the food particles do not keep sticking in the mouth and causing a bad odor.
Solution: Consume fiber-rich fruits and vegetables and rinse your mouth with mouthwash regularly.

4. Acid Reflux
Acid reflux is a gastroesophageal reflux disorder where the acids from the stomach trace back to the throat and even the minute food particles go back to the mouth. These acids cause a bad odor in the mouth, and also the bacteria in these acids harm throat and mouth.
Solution: Chew your food properly and break it into minute pieces before swallowing. This helps in easier digestion. Drink enough water to make the food soluble and avoid acid reflux.

5. Tobacco
Smoking and consumption of tobacco products are injurious to every organ of the body, and oral health is no exception to it as smoking causes plaque formation, gum diseases and dry mouth, contributing to bad breath.
Solution: Quit smoking and consume a healthy diet.

6. Medications
Certain medicines dry your mouth, and dry mouth leads to bad breath.
Solution: Drink plenty of water and keep your mouth hydrated.

These are the few causes for bad breath, however, diseases like diabetes, throat infections, etc., can also cause bad breath. Bad breath could be an alarming sign for severe oral disorders like gum diseases, Gingivitis, Periodontitis, etc. Though chewing gums and mouth fresheners provide temporary relief from bad breath but for permanent relief from bad breath, visit our dental clinic, The Elite Dental Care, one of the leading dental clinics in Tracy, California. You can also visit our blog https://theelitedental.com for dental health tips and dental care.