Do you have bad breath? The problem with bad breath, is that sometimes you have no idea it is your problem, until someone tells you. It is an embarrassing thing to have to go through, but it is something that many people deal with. Bad breath is offensive and it disgusts people. When food is the cause of the bad breath, one merely has to brush or gargle, to rid the mouth of food debris that smells. When the problem is deeply rooted, however, it is a different story altogether.
So maybe you were told you have foul breath or maybe you smelt it for yourself and want to deal with it once and for all. Whatever your motivation, the first thing you need to do is to visit your dentist.
Reasons for Bad Breath
If you are troubled with bad breath, you could be dealing with the following oral problems:
- Plaque build-up. Plaque is formed when food, saliva and bacteria is allowed to come together and calcify. It accumulates in the mouth and its very makeup causes bad breath. If this is the problem, a teeth cleaning is needed, and a reminder to observe good oral hygiene is necessary. This includes stressing the need to see the dentist for regular cleaning, every six months.
- Tooth decay. If a tooth is decayed and rotten, it will give off a bad smell, and give you bad breath. Tooth decay is resolved with a tooth filling. The tooth is cleaned and the decayed tissues are removed, so that it may be restored back to health.
- Gum disease. When plaque is left to accumulate, this progresses to gum disease, which involves swelling, redness, tenderness, pus formation and bleeding. Pus formation and bleeding will surely give you a bad breath. If this is found to be the cause of your problem, you may need to undergo periodontal rehabilitation, that may or may not involve surgery.
- Infection. If a rotten tooth is left to decay, the problem becomes worse, and an infection may start. You may begin to find a boil/swelling on the area of the decayed tooth and it will be filled with pus. This pus formation is going to cause bad breath, and until this tooth is removed or the infection is resolved with a root canal treatment, the foul odor will not go away.
- Acid reflux. If you have the tendency to regurgitate contents of your stomach, the constant reflux will give you bad breath. A dentist who uncovers this will refer you to a physician for further testing.
- Dry mouth. First of all, why do you have dry mouth syndrome? Whether it is due to medication that you are taking or a symptom of another disease, it needs to be resolved. A dentist, who discovers this, will refer you to a physician for further testing.
- Tonsil stones. Sometimes the folds of the tonsils are highly pronounced so that plaque accumulates at the back of the mouth. Tonsil stones should be removed, just like normal plaque.
Dealing with Bad Breath
If you are a patient with bad breath, the dentist will try to find the reason for this. Depending on the evidence gathered, a corresponding treatment process will be performed to resolve your problem.