What causes bad breath?

Bad breath (halitosis) is a very common and embarrassing condition that affects people of all ages. It is mainly caused by the overgrowth of certain bacteria in the mouth. Most of these bacteria are anaerobic (they hate oxygen) and so live under the gums, in between teeth, in decaying teeth, under broken and leaking fillings or crowns and many live on the back of the tongue. Bad breath is rarely caused by stomach upsets or even sinus problems.

These bacteria break down proteins from food, mucous and dead cells to produce odorous sulphur compounds (also known as Volatile Sulphur Compounds or VSCs). Sulphur causes garlic and onion to smell and that is what makes someone’s mouth smell too. You don’t really need scientific evidence to understand that rotting food and dead cells stink, right? Nonetheless, the scientific evidence is there to prove this.

Can I just brush or rinse these bacteria away?

Yes and no. Brushing and flossing are important to keep bacterial numbers down, but many areas are non accessible to normal cleaning methods, like cavities in teeth, leaking fillings or crowns, tartar under the gums and the bacteria that live between the fibers of your tongue. Most commercial rinses just temporarily mask the smell, or kill just a few of the bugs, which soon come back in large armies. Many of these rinses add fuel to the fire by being acidic and high in alcohol (ethanol), this dries up the mouth. A dry mouth is the single highest risk factor for all oral and dental disease, as well as bad breath.

What can I do then?

If you have frequent or constant bad breath, seek advice from a dental professional who understands this disease and its relation to gum disease, dental decay and the rest of the body. All of these conditions are caused by bacteria and can be treated.

You can help yourself avoid and treat bad breath by:

- Increasing your saliva flow by drinking more water, reducing caffeine and alcohol intake and chewing xylitol gum between meals.

- Stop or cut down on smoking.

- Brushing and flossing as well as using a tongue scraper to gently clean your tongue.

- Stop using alcohol based, acidic mouth rinses. They just make things worse. Use baking soda or hydrogen peroxide (diluted) as cheap rinses that work well to neutralise acid and introduce active oxygen in the mouth. Stabilised Sodium Chlorite rinses are most efficient against bad breath, but they are only available through specialised dental clinics. Contact us if you want to know more.

- Make sure you get a proper diagnosis of your oral health and long-term risks. Any gum and bone disease must be treated, any cavities eliminated, leaking old fillings or crowns replaced properly and risky areas that cannot be cleaned (like wisdom teeth in many cases) dealt with properly. Go after technology and precision for long lasting, predictable results.

- Visit a good hygienist that uses advanced oral cleaning technology (like Ozone and ultrasonics) to have a thorough cleaning every four months ideally, or every six months at minimum. There are many areas that you can never get to clean properly by yourself; you will need professional help for that. A proper oral hygiene visit should be 45 minutes to one hour at least. Anything less than that and you would be getting a quick brush over.

Stop suffering from a problem that we can solve for you.

For more information on fresh breath Ozospa therapy and special products go to lasersmile.co.nz