Don’t Let Bad Breath Affect You
Hello, and welcome back to our blog! Here at Bitterroot Dental, we strive to provide the best dental services in the Missoula area. A healthy mouth is one of the most important things in relation to a person’s overall health and, in our opinion, not enough people realize exactly how bad certain dental conditions can be if they are left untreated. One thing that everyone can agree on, however, is the fact that bad breath is something that is to be avoided at all costs. Bad breath can put a damper on anyone’s mood and, for the most part, we assume that the vast majority of people want to keep their breath as fresh as possible. However, what happens when you have continual bad breath no matter how many times you brush your teeth? In today’s post, we are going to go over some of the causes of chronic bad breath and what you can do to make sure that this condition does not affect you.
What is Halitosis?
Halitosis, in the simplest of terms, is when a person suffers from chronic bad breath. Halitosis is different than occasional bad breath in that it continues to be an issue even when people take the typical steps to freshen their breath such as brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash. There are many possible causes of halitosis and below we have listed a few of the most common causal factors.
- Poor Dental Hygiene: While a person with a halitosis may attempt to fix it by brushing their teeth or using mouthwash, the main cause of this dental condition is typically caused by a less than regular dental hygiene schedule. If a person regularly brushes, flosses, or visit the dentist, it is highly unlikely that they will develop halitosis. However, if a person only uses brushing as a way to mask the odor of their breath, they are doing themselves a disservice. While halitosis can be masked by brushing the teeth, in as little as an hour the odor can return. The first step in ensuring that you don’t develop chronic bad breath is to make sure that you are adhering to a good oral hygiene regimen.
- Dry Mouth: Having an excessively dry mouth is another condition that can lead to the development of halitosis. The saliva in your mouth works to break down and wash away food particles that may be stuck in between your teeth after a meal. When properly moist, your mouth is typically able to produce enough saliva to break down that majority of these particles, preventing them from staying in your mouth longer than normal. If you suffer from dry mouth, however, these food particles are left in the mouth for longer than they should be. This allows the bacteria in your mouth to feed off of these particles and, as most people know, mouth bacteria produces acid after it breaks down food. This acid further exacerbates dry mouth, creating a cycle that is difficult to break free from. If you suffer from chronic dry mouth, we suggest that you speak with a dentist, such as the dentists who work at Bitterroot Dental, to discuss treatment options.
Join us again next time as we continue to cover some of the ways that people develop halitosis. Additionally, if you are in need of dental services in the Missoula area, please contact us today at Bitterroot Dental and allow us to handle all of your dentistry needs.
