We all wake up with a hint of morning breath. That’s to be expected after eight hours with your mouth shut! But fighting bad breath all day long is a separate and more serious issue.
Do you constantly reach for breath mints and gum to cover stale breath? Do you avoid face-to-face conversations so that nobody else has a chance to catch a whiff of your breath? Does brushing seem totally ineffective against the unbearable odor of your mouth?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it’s important to understand why chronic bad breath is haunting you each day. Once you understand the causes of chronic bad breath, you can take action to improve your oral health and banish bad breath forever.
What Is Bad Breath?
Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is officially defined as “an offensive odor originating from the oral cavity.” Up to 50% of adults in the U.S suffer from this condition, so you’re definitely not alone.
Chronic bad breath can develop for a few different reasons, including poor eating and oral hygiene habits, slow saliva production, and other health issues.
As soon as you eat or drink anything, food and liquid particles breakdown in and around your teeth. If you don’t brush and floss regularly to remove food remnants, they accumulate into a thick coating of plaque that spreads over your teeth, tongue, and gums. Odor-causing bacteria thrives inside this plaque and emits the foul odor we call “bad breath”.
The 3 Most Common Causes of Bad Breath
Sure, chewing on raw garlic will definitely cause bad breath, but that’s not one of the most common causes of recurrent halitosis. You may recognize one (or more!) of these main bad breath culprits.
- The Food You Eat: Your eating habits have the power to reduce or aggravate bad breath. The foods and beverages that you choose create bacteria and debris that cover your mouth until the next time you brush and floss. Soda, juice, candy, and processed foods contain more sugar, which means they support the development of additional odor-causing bacteria and plaque. Milk, almonds, apples, and other healthy choices, on the other hand, help to wash bacteria away and balance the pH of the mouth. ‘=
- Dry Mouth: Dry mouth is another cause of bad breath. Since saliva helps to clean your mouth and remove the particles that cause bad odors, a mouth with insufficient saliva production begins to release a bad odor. Chronic dry mouth may develop if the salivary glands can’t function properly to produce the saliva your mouth and body need.
- Tobacco Use: This one doesn’t need much explanation. Tobacco products like cigarettes automatically create a distinct smell in the mouth. They also compromise your saliva levels, which creates dry mouth and aggravates your bad breath issues.
Signs and Symptoms of Halitosis
Bad breath sounds like it would be easy to identify, but many people can’t assess the odor of their own mouths. If you suspect that halitosis is influencing your oral health, you can ask a close friend or spouse to check your breath and give honest feedback. You can also perform a breath test yourself by licking your wrist, giving the saliva time to dry, and then smelling it.
Worse yet, if you notice any of the following symptoms, chances are that they’re related to your bad breath:
- Bright red and painful gums
- Bleeding from the gums
- Increased tooth sensitivity
- Development of cavities
- White coating on the tongue
But it’s not a lost cause! As long as you take action to reverse the damage, it’s actually pretty easy to improve your bad breath and save your mouth from the fate of gum disease.
The Best Tips For Fighting Bad Breath
Bad breath can be humiliating, but there are many solutions to this condition. As long as you follow these tips, you can finally reverse your halitosis and speak confidently during any conversation.
Improve Your Oral Hygiene
Your oral hygiene habits set the pace for your mouth health. If you’ve been slacking on your brushing and flossing, you can begin to improve your oral hygiene habits with these techniques:
- Brush and floss at least twice a day
- Scrape your tongue each morning with a tongue scraper
- Replace your toothbrush every two to three months.
- Start oil pulling. This is an innovative and completely natural way to fight bad breath. The process involves swishing a tablespoon of coconut oil gently in your mouth for 20 minutes, then spitting it out and rinsing with warm water. Since oil pulling removes bacteria from the mouth, it eliminates bad breath at its source!
These simple yet effective steps will prevent bacteria from building up and generating a foul odor.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking water throughout the day is another easy but powerful way to kick bad breath to the curb. Water rinses away plaque and bacteria, hydrates the mouth, and freshens bad breath.
Eat Well
Making strategic food choices can even alleviate bad breath. Raw, crunchy food choices help to clean the teeth and even contain components that control food odor and promote saliva production naturally. Apples, almonds, carrots, and walnuts are great examples. Even the active cultures in yogurt reduce odor-causing bacteria in the mouth.
Visit Your Encinitas, CA Dentist
It’s very important to let your dentist know about your struggles with halitosis. Dr. Skeens is here to evaluate the appearance and condition of your mouth and offer insight regarding the cause of your bad breath.
For example, Dr. Skeens might identify that your bad breath is caused by dry mouth, which in turn is being triggered by intense snoring at night. By treating the underlying cause of your dry mouth and bad breath, your dentist can help you fully resolve the problem. This is so much better than using mints and gum to temporarily hide your bad breath without any real solution.
Dr. Skeens can also recommend specialized toothpaste and mouth rinse products formulated to remove the buildup of bacteria on your teeth and eliminate odor from those sources.
Don’t Let Bad Breath Control Your Smile
Uncontrolled bad breath can cause you to feel self-conscious, embarrassed, and unattractive. You may find yourself avoiding friends, ending conversations abruptly, and declining invitations to social events.
But bad breath doesn’t have to control your smile… or your life. The simple acts of improving your oral care habits and visiting your Encinitas, CA dentist will help you pinpoint the root cause of your bad breath. From there, Dr. Skeens can help you take effective measures to keep your breath pleasantly fresh all day long.
Reach out to Dr. Skeens and his team at Encinitas Family Dentistry today to learn more. Stop fighting bad breath every day; it’s time to win your battle.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES AT ENCINITAS FAMILY DENTISTRY
At our core, Encinitas Dentistry is a dental practice devoted to restoring and enhancing the natural beauty of your smile. How we accomplish that goal is what makes us stand out. We mingle time-tested approaches to oral care with state-of-the-art technology and procedures to deliver beautiful, long-lasting smiles!