Bad breath is not only disgusting but repelling. It can be embarrassing to be the only one in the room that has a bad odor when you speak. The worst thing about having a bad breath is that you cannot always tell your own smell. Unless you are particularly keen, it can be very hard to smell your own breath. Even then, it is not an excuse to go around, causing unrest among people because of the smell of your mouth. You can always ask someone you trust whether or not your breath stinks. If the answer is yes, then you need to find out why.
It is a dental condition that causes one to emit bad smell from the mouth. Its technical term is halitosis. The smell is particularly unpleasant. It only qualifies as bad breath if the situation has been persistent for a while. Bad breath can be a consequence of many reasons, ranging from eating habits to medical conditions.
There are many reasons why one would have bad breath. A lot of it has to do with poor oral hygiene. That does not mean that everyone with bad mouth odor has poor oral hygiene. The juggle is usually in figuring out whether you need to call your dentist in Gilbert or not. However, before it gets to the point of needing bad breath treatment in Gilbert, find out which of the following reasons are causing your bad breath.
Poor dental hygiene – this is the leading cause of bad breath for most patients. When you eat food and fail to brush your teeth, the food residues remain in different corners of your mouth, including between teeth. The bacteria that are present in your mouth mixes with the food residues, as well as saliva. This combination forms a thick layer of a substance called plaque. The plaque buildups up between teeth and other surfaces of teeth. The longer you go without brushing and flossing your teeth, the more plaque forms. This, by itself, will result in bad breath. However, with time, tartar forms. Tartar introduces a whole other set of dental problems that only a dentist in 85224 has the expertise to treat. At this point, you may need to plan a trip to a Gilbert dentist to get your oral health in check.
Gum disease – if you have gum disease, you are a candidate for bad breath. This is regardless of whether or not the infection is advanced. Gum disease often causes mouth sores and other dental issues. In fact, gum disease is also often caused by plaque buildup. In that case, it is no surprise that your mouth would smell if you have this infection.
Food choices – the types of food you eat can cause bad breath. If you have halitosis in Gilbert, your dentist will ask a lot about the foods you love. Some foods have strong odors. An excellent example is a garlic or onion. If you eat them in plenty, their smell may manifest through your mouth. If this is the case, your dentist in Gilbert will advise you to wait until after the foods have passed your system. However, even mouthwash cannot completely eliminate the odor.
Yeast infections in the mouth – like with gum disease, a yeast infection can cause bad breath. For this one, you need a diagnosis from a dentist in Gilbert, AZ to ascertain that you have a yeast infection, not just any other dental condition.
Xerostomia – also called dry mouth. Dry mouth means that the saliva is not sufficient to keep a fresh breath.
Depending on the underlying cause of your bad mouth odor, a dentist near you will recommend several solutions to help with the problem. Some include:
Professional dental cleaning – this will help get rid of all the traces of plaque in your mouth. This does not end here. It only gives you a clean slate to start a new health chapter. You have to keep up with proper oral hygiene to maintain the results.
Improve your oral hygiene – regular flossing and brushing twice every day.
Changes in diet – reduce intake of foods with strong odors like garlic.
Drink water – useful for hydrating your mouth and flush out toxins from your body.
