Everyone wants fresh breath, that goes without saying. Bad breath is a problem that can make it hard to get along with family, friends, and coworkers. You can make sure you have fresh breath today and every day by following these steps.
Why Do We Have Bad Breath?
The bacteria in your mouth are the main cause of bad breath. If there are a lot of bacteria in a place, it is likely to smell bad. Over 90% of bad breath comes from inside the mouth, while the other 10% comes from the nose, lungs, or digestive tract.
Many of the bacteria in the mouth make volatile sulfur compounds, which smell bad (or VSCs). The goal of treating bad breath is to get rid of these bacteria and stop them from building up again.
How Can I Keep My Breath Fresh?
By doing these things, you can cut down on the amount of bacteria in your mouth and make bad breath less likely.
Go To The Dentist Often
Seeing your dentist regularly is one of the most important things you can do to keep your mouth from getting full of bacteria. When you go to your dental hygienist regularly to have your teeth cleaned, you get a “clean slate.” Bacteria build up on the teeth in the form of soft plaque and hard tartar. A professional teeth cleaning gets rid of both. When a professional cleans your teeth, your breath is noticeably better.
Visits to the dentist are also important because gum disease and cavities can cause bad breath, which brings us to the next step in keeping fresh breath.
Take Care of Any Current Dental Issues
Both cavities and gum disease are caused by a buildup of bacteria. When gum disease gets bad enough to cause deep pockets around the teeth, bacteria can easily hide in those pockets. You can’t just brush and floss to get into the pockets and clean them out. This can only be done with help from a dentist.
Same thing with cavities. When bacteria get into a tooth and destroy the enamel and dentin, they leave behind soft, decaying material. Covering up the bad smell won’t make it go away. Bacteria and the bad smells they cause can only be taken care of by going to the dentist and having the affected tooth structure cleaned out.
Clean Your Teeth Well
In between trips to the dentist, it’s up to you to get rid of plaque. The hygienist has given you a mouth that is clean and free of bacteria. When you take care of your teeth, you can keep them clean.
Good oral hygiene means brushing twice a day, preferably after breakfast and before bed, flossing every night, and using an antiseptic or anticavity mouthwash. When you don’t do all of your oral hygiene steps, plaque builds up on your teeth and makes your mouth full of more bacteria. If you have more bacteria, they will make more gas, which will make your breath smell worse.
Include a Tongue Cleaner in Your Daily Routine
Some people get bacteria-filled plaque on the back of their tongues, where there are deep pits and grooves. Different people have different tongue shapes, so some will be more likely to pick up bacteria. A gentle tongue cleaner can help you get rid of the bacteria in dental plaque that cause bad breath.
It’s very important to use something soft and flexible to clean the tongue’s delicate soft tissue. People often hurt themselves when they try to clean their tongues with harsh tools or methods. Plaque is soft, so it doesn’t take much force to get rid of it. A tool that can be changed will do the job.
Use An Alcohol-Free Mouthwash
First, if you want to get rid of bad breath, you should use a mouthwash without alcohol. Many over-the-counter and prescription mouthwashes have a lot of alcohol in them because it is a good solvent (a way to carry the active ingredients). The problem is that alcohol makes your mouth dry, and when your mouth is dry, it makes it easier for bacteria to grow. Always pick a drink without alcohol.
Chew Gum Without Sugar Between Meals
Many people think that a strong minty flavor will mask the smell of their bad breath when they chew gum. This is not the case, though. It is true that chewing sugar-free gum makes you salivate more, and saliva is good for you. Saliva fights against the growth of bacteria and plaque. Chewing gum is a good way to clean your mouth after you eat or drink, especially if you don’t have time to brush or floss.
Get Rid of Dry Mouth
Some people have dry mouth because of a side effect of a medicine they are taking or because their salivary glands are damaged. No matter what causes dry mouth, it always leads to more bacteria building up in the mouth. Plaque on your teeth loves a dry mouth. People whose mouths are dry usually have bad breath.
When you fight dry mouth, you also fight the bacteria that cause bad breath. You should also make a point to drink a lot of water and chew gum between meals. There are a lot of over-the-counter products that can help you keep your mouth moist. You can use the spray all day and coat the inside of your mouth with a gel before bed.
What If None of the Above Solutions Work?
If you do all of these things every day and still have bad breath, the problem could be outside of your mouth. Dr. Motiwala will talk about the other possibilities after he has done a thorough evaluation and ruled out any dental problems that could be a cause. This could mean going to an ENT or GI specialist to look for things like chronic sinus infections or severe acid reflux.
Still Have Questions about Bad Breath?
Call Dr. Motiwala’s Dental Clinic and Implant Center right now to set up an appointment with him. He will look at your mouth carefully and help you figure out what’s making your breath smell bad. Then, he will work with you to come up with a plan to get rid of those things and get you back to having fresh breath.
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