Bad Breath

Bad breath can be embarrassing and can get in the way of expressing your self. Many factors can cause bad breath. At Spokane Dental, we perform a thorough oral examination when you visit for your routine dental checkup. Our exam will help identify the cause of bad breath, and we can come up with a solution to prevent it. However, at home there certain things that you can do to prevent or cure your bad breath. To find the solution, we start by finding the source. Here are four reasons you may have bad breath and how to help:

1. You Aren’t Cleaning Your Whole Mouth

“Bad Bacteria” (cavity and periodontal disease-causing) in your mouth produce “Volatile Sulfur Compounds”, or VSCs, which are attributed to bad breath. The more “bad bacteria”, the more VSCs are produced. What most people don’t know is that the tongue is the biggest producer of VSCs.

Bad Breath Tip:

Get a tongue scraper. Place on tongue and pull in a forward motion, then rinse the bacteria off. Use until you cover the whole top surface of the tongue. Make sure you are brushing thoroughly twice a day and flossing once a day. Using an antibacterial mouth rinse will help lower the amount of bacteria in your mouth as well, although will not mechanically remove from teeth or tongue.

2. You Have A Dental Disease

Periodontal Disease, cavities, and abscesses can all cause bad breath. They are all infections caused by the “bad bacteria” mentioned above. When the infection is gone, your bad breath will be too.

Bad Breath Tip:

See Dr. Smith for a dental exam. He and your hygienist will diagnose the issue and make a personalized treatment plan to resolve it. It is imperative to eliminate dental disease not just for bad breath, but for your overall health as well.

3. You Have Dry Mouth

Dry mouth caused by medications or certain health conditions can lead to bad breath.

Bad Breath Tip:

Drink lots of water, and talk to Dr. Smith and your hygienist to make a treatment plan with recommendations to help combat your dry mouth.

4. Your Diet

This one may seem obvious, but we’re not just talking about garlic. Certain spices, acidic drinks, or a high sugar diet can all contribute to bad breath.

Bad Breath Tip:

If you can find no other reason for your bad breath, consider eliminating some foods from your diet for a couple of days and see what happens.