Bad breath-treatment and prevention
BAD BREATH- Treatment and Prevention
Causes of Bad Breath
Although there are many factors leading to Bad Breath but poor oral hygiene is the most common among all. Building up bacteria due to unhygienic oral habits actually cause smelly breath. Food particles in mouth if are not cleaned then they are fed and broken down by bacteria and hence release unpleasant smelling gas. It can be a symptom of any gum disease.
Food items like onions, garlic, and cheese contribute equally to bad breath as smoking, drinking coffee and high alcohol consumption. Bad breath should not be ignored or taken casually as this can lead to infection and illness.
Treatment and Prevention
It is well said that “Prevention is better than Cure”. It is always wise to prevent any disease to happen. Bad breath can also be prevented by following hygienic oral routine and in case one is already suffering than improving oral cleanliness can do be a help to a great extent.
There are broadly three ways recommended to improve oral wellbeing –
- Regular brushing
- Flossing
- Cleaning tongue
Oral health can also be taken care of by eating pH balanced diet like green leafy vegetables. Green leafy vegetables help maintain the pH level of the body and thus avoid dry mouth, one of the root causes of bad breath.
Time to see General Physician (GP)
If bad breath is not cured by adopting methods mentioned above then it calls for urgent medical attention. You might need to see a GP as such uncured bad breath can be result of any hidden medical issues.
How to check whether you have bad breath?
One can test personally whether s/he is suffering from bad breath. Licking the inside of wrist with back of tongue and letting the saliva dry will prove whether one has bad breath or not. If the dried saliva smells than it is highly likely that one’s breath smells too.
Top 6 ways to get Fresh Breath
- Brushing teeth twice per day
Fluoride toothpaste should be used for brushing. Teeth brushing should be done correctly and regularly.
- Brushing or scraping tongue
A soft rubber scraper for tongue can help in scraping out food particles and removing bacteria which tooth brush finds hard to do.
- Flossing between teeth
Only cleaning teeth surface is not enough. Food particles trapped between teeth should be removed and this can be done by flossing. Decaying of trapped food particles leads to bad breath.
- Quitting smoking and alcohol consumption
Smoking leads to smell of stale smoke and this causes gum diseases. Gum diseases are another cause of bad breath.
- Using antibacterial mouthwash
Using antibacterial mouthwash before bed time is also one of the healthy oral routines. It keeps mouth fresh during night and prevents any bacterial growth.
- Chewing sugar-free gum
When one cannot clean mouth due to situational reasons, chewing sugar free gum can be a temporary solution to prevent any bad breath. Though it cannot substitute proper hygienic oral health routine, so teeth should be cleaned thoroughly as well.
Lincoln Dental specialises in treating bad breath and related issues.
Still suffering from bad breath, book your appointment online or via calling the reception. Contact details- 03 9850 1713