As they say, when you have bad breath, you are usually the last person to know, and this can have a negative effect on a person’s life. Bad breath can be caused by poor oral hygiene, which is why it is important to follow best oral hygiene practices, which includes brushing and flossing morning, evening and after every meal.
Here are a few causes of bad breath:
- Dietary Issues – If, for example, you consume a lot of onions, this will cause you to have a pungent odour in your breath, particularly all forms of onion and garlic. If you do like to eat onions and spices, use an antiseptic mouthwash after your meal, which will not completely eliminate the odour, but it will lessen it considerably. Eating a lot of spicy food can cause a body odour, as the spices emanate from the body via sweat, and many people take a travel toothbrush and brush right after consuming this type of food.
- Smoking – Aside from the very obvious health risks, smoking will make your breath smell, so much so, that a non-smoker would detect the aroma on your breath. If you are finding it difficult to stop smoking, chew some nicotine gum, which won’t give you bad breath, and once you quit smoking cigarettes, you will feel much healthier. You can also opt for vaping instead of smoking. However, this dentist in Mathews highly recommends quitting smoking and vaping altogether for better results.
- Dry Mouth – People that breathe heavily through their mouth often suffer from a dryness in the mouth, and this means harmful bacteria are not being eliminated by saliva. This can lead to bad breath.
- Acid Reflux – This sometimes occurs, when a backward flow of undigested food goes into your throat, causing an unpleasant taste, and is often accompanied with burping.
- Crash Diet – Going on a crash diet can sometimes cause bad breath, which causes the body to break down fat. This releases chemicals called ketones, which have an unpleasant odour. Lacking carbohydrates in your diet could make this worse, and fasting can also promote ketone production.
- Chronic Disease – Bad breath can be the result of chronic illness, with diabetes, liver disease or even pneumonia and bronchitis.
Here are a few foods that combat bad breath:
- Yoghurt
- Fennel seeds
- Cinnamon
- Citrus fruits
- Cloves
If you notice you have bad breath, you are advised to make an appointment with your local dentist, where he or she can examine you and discover the root cause and take appropriate action. By visiting the Sydney CBD dentists and dental clinic, for example, the dentist will quickly be able to discover the cause of your bad breath, which could be a gum infection, tooth decay, or even your diet.
It is important for everyone to have a dental check-up twice a year, which would reveal any issues that can be treated promptly. This will ensure that your teeth and gums are healthy.
If you are lacking in oral hygiene, your dentist would inform you of correct brushing, flossing and the use of mouthwash. Every child and adult should have regular oral examinations, as this ensures that any issues are revealed and treatment can be recommended.
