Causes and Prevention of Bad Breath

Bad Breath

Do you have bad breath no matter how much you brush and rinse? Bad breath can make a person lose confidence, suffer in relationships, and just be a constant source of annoyance. It can also be a symptom of something possibly bigger. Chronic bad breath is called halitosis and is diagnosed by a persistent, unpleasant smell coming from the mouth. It can be caused by a variety of issues like poor hygiene, medications, or certain diseases.

Bad breath symptoms other than an obvious bad smell include an unpleasant or sour taste in the mouth that persists, a dry mouth, and a film coat on the tongue. Sometimes it can be difficult to spot because some people are overly concerned with the smell of their breath when they have no issues, and others who have a big problem are completely oblivious. Most close friends can clue you in, but if you’re not sure, just ask someone you trust.

What causes bad breath even after brushing?

• Food – Stinky foods like garlic, onions, curry, strong cheese, fish, and acidic beverages can all leave your mouth feeling sour and thick. Right after eating these foods, try brushing your teeth to see if the bad breath goes away.
• Tobacco – Tobacco use like cigarettes and chewing is notorious for causing smelly bad breath. Either just from the tobacco itself or from an underlying condition caused by tobacco use like cancer or tooth abscesses.
• Lack of Dental Hygiene – One of the most common causes of bad breath is lack of proper dental hygiene. How often are you brushing, flossing, and rinsing? Dentists recommend brushing at least twice a day, flossing at least once, and rinsing as needed.
• Dry mouth – Saliva moistens and helps keep your mouth hydrated which means keeping the bacterial ecosystem in your mouth happy. If you suffer from dry mouth, you get an unhappy and dirtier mouth.
• Medications – Some medications cause bad breath. Make sure you check with your doctor for any known side effects.
• Infections – A common one that is normally accompanied by sores, pain, or other issues, infections are a very possible reason that your bad breath has become worse. Another possible issue that can develop into an infection is tonsil stones. These are little bits of food that get trapped in your tonsils and calcify into small grainy stones. They can vary greatly in size and are normally accompanied by bad breath because there is literally rotting food trapped in your tonsils.
• Diseases – This is the most serious reason for bad breath.
  • Bad breath from stomach issues – This can include your breath and burps smelling like rotten eggs due to sulfur binding to the food in your stomach, known as GERD, or a small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Bad breath can also be a symptom of well-known diseases like Crohn’s, Celiac, IBS, or gallbladder issues.
  • Bad breath cancer – Cancers in the mouth can cause a whole bunch of problems, but one of the most common symptoms is bad breath due to cancer. Mouth cancer, lung cancer, and throat cancer can all cause bad breath issues.

How to cure bad breath

The first thing to do is make sure you are following a strict regimen of dental hygiene. If you are routinely and properly taking care of your teeth every day and your bad breath still occurs, try some home remedies before calling the dentist.

• A bad breath home remedy that is a popular choice is just buying a tongue scraper. This is a little-handled instrument that easily scraps the top filmy bacteria off your tongue. Just rinse it down the drain and continue.
• Eating raw crunchy food helps in cleaning teeth so carrots, apples, and celery are great foods to eat before brushing your teeth.
• Chew some fennel seeds. These seeds are antiseptic and can help your mouth fight the odor-causing bacteria.
• Warm water salt rinsing is common and is believed to not only help with a sore throat but it can also help keep bad bacteria at bay in the mouth.

If all these tricks and home remedies don’t work, then be sure to make an appointment with your dentist to ensure there is not a larger underlying problem.

We at Maiden Lane Dental can help you and look forward to your call! We are located in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, NYC. Our happy patients come from the tri-state areas of NY, NJ, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, and beyond.