No one is immune from bad breath. It’s primarily caused by the bacteria that break down food and protein in your mouth. They produce and release volatile sulfur compounds that smell unpleasant, resulting in bad breath. Regularly brushing your teeth effectively gets rid of the smell. However, if the stink persists, there might be a more serious problem at hand.
Finding out the exact cause of your bad breath will help you come up with the right solution. This can range anywhere, from improving oral hygiene practices to visiting an oral surgeon for professional help. Bad breath is present everywhere, whether you’re from Kokomo, Indiana or Hollywood, California. It’s only a matter of determining the cause and addressing it properly.
You might have an underlying medical condition.
If you have chronic bad breath, consider visiting your dentist. Bad breath can be the result of an underlying medical condition. Gum disease, for example, is caused by excessive plaque build-up. The bacteria here produce toxins that give you bad breath and irritate your gums. In these cases, it’s best to approach a professional. Get the proper treatment for better oral health.
Your oral hygiene routine might need some improvement.
Good oral hygiene is a combination of brushing, flossing, gargling, and scraping. The first three are easy to remember, it’s fourth that tends to slip people’s minds when they’re practicing oral hygiene.
Your tongue has several grooves and crevices where bacteria can grow and emit volatile sulfur compounds. Before ending your oral hygiene routine, run a scraper across your tongue. This will remove the gunk that is a breeding ground for bacteria. Make sure your scrape the whole surface, including the area near the back of your throat.
Your mouth might be dehydrated.
Your bad breath might be the result of chronic dry mouth. Saliva has cleaning properties that prevent the build-up of odor-causing bacteria. Stimulate your salivary glands by chewing on sugar-free gum or sucking on sugar-free lozenges. Frequently sipping on water also helps moisten your mouth.
Your chronic acid reflux is giving you bad breath.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, otherwise known as GERD, is a digestive disorder that causes acidic juices to back up from the stomach into the esophagus. This regurgitation causes digested food and stomach acids to stay at the back of your throat. Here, these can coat your tongue and cause bacteria to form.
Visit your physician to help you manage your GERD. Although it’s a common disease, it can aggravate asthma and worsen it over time.
Your diet might be the cause.
Although the combination of garlic and onions is delicious, it will likely result in bad breath. They have high concentrations of sulfur compounds that will stick to your mouth. If lessening your garlic and onion intake is too much, consider carrying a small bottle of mouthwash or a pack of minty gum.
Don’t let bad breath get to you. Nothing is embarrassing about this natural bodily occurrence. Focus on determining the cause of yours to find the appropriate solution. Once you accomplish this, it’s only a matter of adopting better oral hygiene practices, like brushing twice a day and visiting your dentist regularly.
