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Bad breath? Look no further…..

19/06/2014

BAD BREATH?

Are you suffering from bad breath? But don’t really know why it’s happening or what to do about it? Then carry on reading because this week I’m going to be covering everything to do with this pesky problem!

Do I have bad breath?

Isn’t it awful when you go to speak to somebody and you get a waft of not very nice smelling breath, what do you do? You may take a step back or you may turn your cheek a little, this is usually what most people do when they come across someone with bad breath. But how do you know if you have bad breath. Well these are two of the signs to look out for, or a good friend might point it out to you but this isn’t really a topic that most people feel comfortable discussing.

Another way to check your breath is to lick the inside of your wrist and smell it, if it smells then your breath most probably does too!

Why do people get bad breath?

Bad breath is a common problem, a lot more people have it than you might think.

Temporary bad breath is usually a result of eating and drinking smelly foods and drinks such as garlic, onion and strong coffees.

The more stubborn bad breath is usually from:

• Food that gets stuck in between your teeth and you don’t manage to clean with your toothbrush. The longer it stays there, the more it smells I’m afraid. So correct and thorough tooth brushing, mouthwash and flossing is essential to keep your breath smelling fresh.
• The bacteria that forms plaque on our teeth can also cause decay and gingivitis. Both these things will cause smelly breath. If you ask people who have gum disease, one of their main complaints is usually a bad taste in their mouth or constant bad breath. Your dentist and hygienist can pick up these problems very quickly and remove the decay or plaque that is causing the problem.
•  Many people forget to clean their tongue when they brush their teeth. If the bacteria in your mouth creates a coating on your tongue, this will cause a persistant bad smell. Therefore it is essential that you try to brush your tongue or use a tongue scraper to remove this coating.  Your dentist can advise you on whether your tongue is coated and show you how to clean your tongue effectively.
• Medical problems can cause bad breath, such as dry mouth (xerostomia). If you are concerned about dry mouth come speak to our dentists who will be more than happy to recommend salivary substitute products to help prevent dry mouth. Sinusitis, liver or kidney problems can also cause smelly breath.
• Smoking of course creates its own type of bad breath and the only solution to this is to stop smoking, speak to your dentist, doctor or nurse for help on stopping smoking.
• The list is endless but those are the main causes of bad breath.

How can we help?

If you think you have bad breath the first thing to do is book an examination with your dentist and tell them your concerns. Please don’t feel embarrassed, we deal with this problem with a lot more people than you might think. Your dentist can check whether you do indeed have bad breath and then if so, try to find the cause of the problem. Regular hygiene appointments to remove plaque are also recommended and we can also recommend the right type of mouthwash and toothpaste for you to stop the problem from occurring again.

We can also show you exactly how to brush your teeth, floss and clean your tongue to keep everything nice and fresh.

Call us on 02075311717 or email us at info@platinumdentalcare.co.uk to book your examination appointment and one of our lovely dentists at Platinum Dental Care will be happy to help.

I hope you found this helpful, please leave us a comment if you did or if you have any other topics you would like us to cover soon.