Bad Breath

Don't Cover It, Cure It!

OK, All of us have had bad breath at one time or another and we all know how embarrassing and annoying it can be. Making it go away or keeping from coming back will depend on what’s causing it.

The most common cause is sulphur compounds being released from bacteria in our mouth. Have you ever gone 3-4 days without brushing your teeth? You probably felt as though you had a coating of slime on your teeth. Well, you actually did. This is the normal occurring bacteria in your mouth that has just grown really thick. These bacteria release the same types of compounds you smell from rotten eggs, sulphur compounds. Yeah, gross. So the best way not to have bad breath is to not let the bacteria grow in your mouth. This means brushing and flossing to get rid of them. Don’t forget your tongue. Bacteria grow EVERYWHERE in your mouth and your tongue is a great place for them to hide.

But what if you do brush and floss everyday and still have bad breath? In that case, and you promise you are flossing, it may be that your not able to do it effectively, in other words, your not getting all the plaque off. This could be because your teeth or crooked and rotated so the brush doesn’t get to them all or the floss doesn’t reach everywhere.

Another reason may be that you have some old dental work that is no longer sealed. The bacteria could be getting in between your filling, crowns, etc, and are having a party because you can’t get to them. Remember that just because dental work doesn’t hurt, that does not mean it is still good.

On a few rare occasions, you may have some serious health problems that may be causing your bad breath. If your tonsils are infected or your sinuses are draining, this will cause it. Diabetes will also cause some problems with your breath.

If it runs in your family, get checked for it. Don’t play around in this case! This could be the first sign and you don’t want to ignore it. If none of this applies, contact our office and we will figure it out with you.

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