Health Inspired Dentistry Blog

How Fresh is Your Breath? Thursday, 20 July 2017

Bad breath or HALITOSIS is a common and serious issue that almost everyone worries about which causes personal embarrassment and impacts social interactions. “Breath” can tell a lot about your health, ranging from simply bad breath from foods such as onion and garlic to a warning of a more serious underlying condition.

Bad breath is caused by Volatile Sulfur Compounds. They are released with the breakdown of food particles, which accumulate in the crevices of the hard and soft tissue of the mouth and primarily the back of the tongue.

How to reduce bad breath

Tongue cleaning and the elimination of odor begin with a tongue scraper, which is designed to mechanically remove bacteria from deep pockets in the tongue where the toothbrush cannot reach. Proper tongue cleaning is the first order of defense, followed by brushing and flossing along with rinsing with a dentist prescribed mouthwash that has active ingredients such as zinc and sulfur neutralizing compounds.

Dry mouth, diets, medications, tobacco, and poor oral hygiene are additional causes for bad breath. Persistent bad breath may signal more serious conditions such as gum disease, diabetes, respiratory infections, acid reflux, liver and kidney aliments or oral pharyngeal cancer and should be addressed. If bad breath concerns you or a family member, call us to identify the cause and develop a plan to eliminate it. Bad breath can be uncomfortable for you and those around you and unhealthy too!

-Dr. Claudia Minadeo-Fox