Top Six Causes of Bad Breath
Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is a condition that can make you feel self-conscious around other people. Even if you’ve ever had just a slight case of bad breath for one reason or another, you know how uncomfortable bad breath can make you feel – and you may have also been able to see how it makes others feel in your presence.
What you may not know, however, is what causes bad breath. Of course, sometimes your bad breath may simply be caused by a very potent food you recently ate, like garlic or onions, but when this happens, it is short-lived. In most cases, bad breath is caused by other dental or medical issues, or by lifestyle factors. In fact, serious bad breath can be a sign of undiagnosed medical issues, so be sure to speak to your doctor if good dental hygiene does not clear up your bad breath.
Below are some of the leading causes of bad breath, as well as what you can do to prevent or alleviate this irritating condition.
Top Six Causes of Halitosis
- Tooth Decay and Plaque – Excessive plaque build-up traps bacteria that can lead to tooth decay as well as bad breath. Bad breath can be rather severe if bacteria and plaque are allowed to remain in your mouth. Therefore, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and ideally after every meal, if possible. Daily flossing and regular professional cleanings from a dentist or dental hygienist are also important to reduce plaque build-up leading to tooth decay and bad breath.
- Gum Disease – Poor dental hygiene, along with other medical and dental conditions, can lead to gum disease and can exacerbate bad breath. In order to keep your gums healthy and reduce the possibility of bad breath, it is important that you maintain a strict daily regimen of brushing and flossing your teeth. Regular dental visits can also help to prevent gum disease, and thus, bad breath.
- Dry Mouth – There are a number of conditions that can cause dry mouth, and the condition can also occur with age. A dry mouth provides the ideal conditions for bacteria to thrive and bad breath to develop or worsen. In order to combat these effects, it is important to drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated and your mouth moist. By swishing the water around in your mouth, you can also dislodge some of the bacteria that can otherwise build up and cause bad breath in those with dry mouth.
- Smoking – Cigarettes, cigars and pipes are not only bad for your general health, but they can also lead to bad breath. Quitting smoking can improve your bad breath symptoms, and can also improve your overall health.
- Excessive Drinking – Drinking alcohol can result in dry mouth, which can allow bacteria to thrive and can thus cause bad breath. When drinking alcoholic beverages, it is best to consume a few glasses of water to keep the mouth moist. You should also not drink too much.
- Other Health Problems – There are many diseases and medical conditions that can cause bad breath to occur. If you have a serious case of halitosis that does not get better by improving your dental hygiene or eliminating triggers such as smoking or alcohol, then it is best to speak to your doctor to get to the root cause of your bad breath. Diseases of the throat, lungs and digestive system can result in bad breath, as can other medical conditions.
Park Dental Care offers bad breath treatments in our Astoria, Queens NY dental office. Call 718-Dentist (718-336-8478) to schedule an appointment to discuss your bad breath problems and treatment options today.
