Bad Breath – The Dental Link

This embarrassing problem can often be rectified with better oral health care and a little professional help.

It is likely that many of us will have been told by friends that our breath smells, at least once in our life. There are a number of things that can cause this to happen from time to time. These include the inevitable garlic, but also curry, coffee and other strong smelling foods. The good thing about this is that the smell usually goes quite quickly when the effects wear off, and we can largely avoid them by being a bit more careful about what we eat.

The real problem with smelly breath, or halitosis to give it its correct name, is when the problem is persistent. When changing our diet and brushing our teeth makes little or no difference to the smell we need to start to look at other reasons. Some medical conditions such as respiratory and gastrointestinal problems can sometimes cause this, but by far the most likely cause will be gum disease.

Why the gums?

Far too many of us pay insufficient attention to the cleaning of our gums. Only around one in five (the national average) of our Foxhall Dental patients are likely to use dental floss, a cheap and effective way of helping to avoid this problem. This can lead to gingivitis or periodontitis which can produce a number of symptoms, with bad breath being one that is particularly noticeable to those around us, but one that we rarely notice ourselves as we can’t smell it. It is likely that friends may not want to mention it as it is embarrassing and may even avoid you. This is just one of the reasons why you should have your gum health regularly checked at by our gentle Ipswich dentists.

For those of us wanting to avoid having bad breath then, what should we do to avoid this being a persistent problem that is not caused by diet alone?

Quitting smoking and alcohol considerations.

Smoking is a major factor in gum disease (and mouth cancer too!) Not only do some of the chemicals in smoking materials increase the risk of irritation of the soft tissue, but smoking leaves many people with a dry mouth, a key factor in gum disease as we will see shortly. The nicotine in cigarettes also narrows the tiny blood vessels in the gums and can slow down the healing of any injuries such as scratches to the gum.

A dry mouth can also occur if we drink too much alcohol as it causes dehydration (and possibly a hangover too). Moderate consumption is less likely to do this but however much you drink, make sure to drink water before you go to bed.

If you have a dry mouth, the number of bacteria in the mouth increases and this is more likely to result in gum problems. This is caused by gases being released as the bacteria attack the gums. It is this that causes most of the smell.

Use dental floss

Floss should be used in addition to brushing your teeth well. When you brush, make sure to pay attention to your gums as well as your teeth. Angle the bristles so that they can remove any bacteria trapped just below the gum line.

Even the best brushing though is not enough. It is thought that brushing alone only reaches about 60% of the tooth surface. Much decay starts between the teeth where the bristles won’t reach and this is true for gum disease as well. By far the best way to improve this is by using dental floss. Ask our hygienist to show you how to floss correctly. It really isn’t as difficult as it seems many people believe it to be.

Scale and polish

If you see the dentist for a check up every six months, then make sure that you do the same with the dental hygienist at our Ipswich practice. Not only will they discuss your overall oral health and make suggestions for improvements, but they will carry out a non-invasive procedure known as a scale and polish. This helps to remove hardened bacteria, also known as tartar or calculus, which home brushing can’t remove.

If you are in a higher risk group for gum disease, such as a smoker or if you have diabetes, you may need to see them more frequently to stay on top of any gum health problems that you might have.

Even if you think you aren’t bothered that your breath smells for some reason, it is worth remembering that gum disease can also cause tooth loss as it becomes more advanced, damaging the bone which holds your teeth in place.

If you have noticed that friends don’t stand as close to you now as they once did, or if you haven’t been seeing a hygienist as part of your overall oral health care regime, it is time to contact us to make an appointment to have your teeth professionally cleaned to help prevent gum disease. You can book your appointment with the hygienist by calling the Foxhall Dental Practice on 01473 258396.