Bad breath, or halitosis, can ruin your confidence and make social encounters uncomfortable for everyone there. Let’s talk about what causes it and how to get rid of it.
Poor Hygiene
If you’re brushing and flossing your teeth irregularly, that can allow waste-producing bacteria to build up in your mouth and cause your bad breath. You can prevent this kind of bad breath by brushing and flossing consistently, and using a tongue scraper to clean your tongue.
Dry Mouth
One thing that can cause bad breath is a constantly dry mouth. Your saliva has many functions, but one of them is to continually clean your mouth out. Eating healthy foods that require a good amount of chewing, such as apples or carrots, or chewing sugar-free gum, can help with the production of saliva.
Gum Disease
The bacteria in gum disease can cause bad breath. Our dentist can help treat gum disease to remove the cause.
Smoking and Tobacco
Tobacco smoke and juice stain your teeth and cause bad breath, and increase your chances for many health complications. Smoking also affects your sense of smell, so it can make it hard for you to know that you have bad breath.
Medical Conditions
If our dentist has ruled out any oral cause of bad breath, it could be the result of another medical problem, such as a sinus infection, acid reflux disease, diabetes, and liver or kidney disease. See your doctor to learn about treatment options in these cases.
If you’re having bad breath, come into Robert P. Sherman and see Dr. Robert P. Sherman. Our Leawood, Kansas, dental team is eager to help you.