How To Get Rid Of Bad Breath For Good

18 / 10 / 2024

How To Get Rid Of Bad Breath For Good

Approximately 25% of people around the world suffer from chronic bad breath (clinical name, halitosis) and it’s something we’ve all experienced at some stage (usually after eating foods like onion and garlic).

Bad breath isn’t usually anything sinister, though it can make day-to-day interactions with others challenging. In this piece, we’ll go through the following points:

• What causes bad breath
• What to do about bad breath caused by a serious health condition
• How to get rid of bad breath

What causes bad breath and how do you get rid of it?

Food in between your teeth

This is probably the most common cause of lingering bad breath, and it’s no wonder when so many Britons don’t floss their teeth. In failing to brush, you’re missing out on cleaning a third of your tooth surfaces, which is like missing out on cleaning a third of your body when you bathe or shower!

Food left over in your mouth will give off a foul odour, and carb and sugar-heavy food particles will lead to plaque, which increases your chance of developing gum disease.

Smoking

You won’t be surprised to hear that smoking is a significant cause of bad breath and can cause a chain reaction of other issues that will cause bad breath to become even worse.

The overpowering and tenacious odour of the tobacco in cigarettes, coupled with the fact that cigarettes strip your mouth of essential hydration, makes them a direct cause of bad breath. Many smokers suffer from a condition known as black hairy tongue, which is when rounded bumps (called papillae) grow too long on the tongue as they don’t have the chance to shed dead skin cells.

Vaping

Whilst there are now a whole host of flavoured vapes to purchase (from kiwi and apple to candyfloss and strawberry flavours), don’t be deceived – they can still cause bad breath.

Vaping (like smoking) dries out your mouth, inhibiting the flow of saliva that would normally neutralise acids in your mouth, and help rinse away bacteria in between your tongue and on your teeth.

This said, vaping is a less harmful habit than smoking, and does not contain the cancer and halitosis-causing tobacco in cigarettes. If you are a smoker and you’re attempting to quit, a vape is a useful way to wean yourself off cigarettes. In fact, this is what vapes were designed to be used for in the first instance, but sadly many non-smokers are now taking up vaping, and the long-term effects are still not known.

It’s useful to remember that vapes are e-cigarettes, so if you’re thinking of taking up vaping, consider the fact that it is still a form of smoking and should be treated with the same caution.

Not drinking enough water

We can’t stress the power of water for banishing bad breath enough. Sipping on water after meals is such an easy way to make sure you don’t end up with a dry mouth, or food stuck between your teeth. Drinking more water is probably the easiest tip on our list to take up.

Not attending the hygienist

Going to the hygienist should be as routine as seeing your dentist or brushing your teeth. They are responsible for getting rid of the hardened plaque that sits along your gum line.

Plaque is a sticky film that forms on your teeth, which then attracts bacteria. The bacteria then feed on carbs and sugars in your mouth, releasing toxins and acids.

These toxins and acids can contribute to bad breath – think of them as debris in your mouth.

If you’ve been to the hygienist before, you’ll be familiar with how much better your breath smells, and how lovely and polished your teeth feel after cleaning.

At Ashbourne Road Dental, we use special equipment to ensure your hygienist visit is therapeutic and comfortable. Our Airflow polishing machine delivers a gentle clean, removing all of the plaque that would otherwise continue to give off foul odours in your mouth. Airflow jet washes your teeth using compressed air, water and powder particles – it feels a little like a spa session happening in your mouth! It’s highly recommended for:

• Smokers
• Patients with a significant amount of plaque along their gum line.
• Patients who have tartar along their gum line (hardened plaque that can be difficult for your dentist to remove with hand scaling equipment).

Having plaque and tartar routinely removed every 6-12 months is one of the biggest undertakings you can make in your battle against bad breath.

Can bad breath be caused by serious health conditions?

Bad breath can indeed be a symptom of a serious health condition, including the following:

Cancer treatment

Bad breath can be a side effect of chemotherapy, during which the mouth can become incredibly dry. Painful sores can also develop as a result of radiotherapy, which can make it challenging to keep up a sound oral hygiene routine, leading to bad breath and other oral health-related conditions.

Gum disease

Gum disease can cause a myriad of symptoms that bring about bad breath, such as:

• Build up of plaque and tartar
• Dry mouth
• Loose teeth
• Failing teeth
• Bleeding gums

Once gum disease reaches an advanced stage, it is considered a serious health condition, carrying repercussions for your general health as well as your oral health.

Losing teeth to gum disease can make it incredibly difficult to maintain good oral health, which invites dental decay to the teeth you have remaining, and which have become a challenge to clean.

Dental decay is effectively the rotting of a tooth (and you’ve guessed it, it doesn’t smell great when this starts to occur). Untreated decay can lead to holes in your teeth (cavities), through which bacteria can enter and cause severe bad breath. The only way to resolve this is with root canal treatment, which addresses dental abscesses (the build-up of fluid) around your teeth as a result of infection.

Contact a dentist in Derby for the diagnosis of bad breath

Your dentist at Ashbourne Road can give you peace of mind by providing the cause of your bad breath. Once this has been established, you can make the relevant alterations to banish bad breath for good, and the tips above are a great starting point.

Book your consultation with a dentist in Derby today.