Bad breath is more than just an inconvenience.
Sufferers of bad breath can feel embarrassed, limit their social interactions, and occasionally develop cases of anxiety.
Bad breath, or halitosis, can be caused by a wide range of factors including the foods you eat, your dental hygiene practices, how hydrated you are, and any medications you take.
Those sugary mints you’re eating to cover it up likely aren’t helping either.
Mints and breath fresheners do a good job of masking over the smell, but they do little to treat the underlying causes of bad breath.
In fact, the sugars in the mints could be making things worse.
The good news is that most of the causes of bad breath are completely treatable, and with a few careful steps there is no reason why you can’t eliminate them altogether.
Today, we’re going to talk about some of the most common causes of bad breath and what you can do to cure or prevent them.
Dehydration
Being dehydrated is perhaps one of the most common causes of bad breath. It’s a problem we see regularly at Kherani Dental at Aspen and it’s very easily treatable.
The saliva produced by your mouth is your body’s natural defense against bacteria.
One of the first things that happen when you become dehydrated is that your body slows down its production of saliva to reduce the amount of fluid that is needed.
This is good news for your body, but bad news for your breath, since saliva can no longer fight the bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath.
When certain bacteria are left in the mouth, they can produce gas which causes your breath to smell.
To avoid this, make sure you keep well hydrated. Aim to drink at least 2 litres of water every day throughout the day. For an added help, swirl the water around in your mouth a little before swallowing. This will help to wash out your mouth and remove some of the bacteria that are causing your bad breath.
Diet
The foods you eat play a big role in your overall dental health. They also greatly affect your breath.
We all know that certain foods like garlic and onions can make your breath smell, but did you know that your overall long-term diet also plays a role?
Making sure you keep to a balanced, healthy, low-sugar diet will help to keep bad breath at bay.
Other Medical Conditions
A number of other medical conditions can also affect your breath.
Things like diabetes, lung problems, or liver diseases can all contribute to bad breath.
If you suffer from one of these conditions and you notice that it is affecting your breath, talk to your doctor.
In these cases, managing the breath with mints, freshness and good dental hygiene is sometimes enough.
How To Treat Bad Breath
Additional steps you can take to fight bad breath include regularly rinsing your mouth with water and/or mouthwash. Mouthwashes can help to fight the bacteria in the mouth that cause bad breath and using them once or twice per day can have a noticeable impact on the freshness of your breath.
You should also take extra time when brushing your teeth in the morning and evening and always remember to brush your tongue. The tongue is a huge area of the mouth and it often gets forgotten about in your regular dental hygiene routines. It provides a big surface for bacteria to grow on and incorporating it into your brushing can help to reduce the level of bacteria in your mouth over time. There are also commercially available tongue scrapers that can help keep this bacteria at bay.
Finally, make regular dental checkups a part of your dental health routine. Here at Kherani Dental at Aspen, we always advise patients to get 6 monthly checkups to help keep their dental health on track. If you suffer from bad breath, talk to your dentist at your next checkup.
Of course, if you have any further questions at all about dental appointments during this time, please call the Kherani Dental at Aspen team today at (403) 263-0055.
