Dental Articles - Toronto

Don’t Hide Bad Breath, Treat It

At 2000 Yonge Dental our staff prides themselves on being both professional and knowledgeable when it comes to your dental care.

Don’t Hide Bad Breath, Treat It

Suffering from bad breath can be embarrassing, especially if you are face to face with people on a regular basis. Bad breath is also known as halitosis plagues countless people on a daily basis, and while brushing teeth remedies it in some cases, other instances of bad breath are chronic or recurring which calls for a trip to the dentist. If regular dental care or breath fresheners do not seem to work for you, contact 2000 Yonge Dental today for a consultation.

At 2000 Yonge Dental our staff prides themselves on being both professional and knowledgeable when it comes to your dental care. As your Toronto dentist we have been proudly serving patients since 2000. Our doctors will inspect your mouth for signs of decay, infections or gum disease that could be causing your bad breath. If it is concluded that this is not the cause of your problem, you may be referred to a physician for further evaluation.

STINKY FACTORS

Multiple factors can contribute to halitosis, such as:

  • Food- the breakdown of food particles in and around your teeth can boost bacteria producing a foul odor. Particular foods, such as onions, garlic, and spices lead to smelly breath. After digestion, these foods are carried to you lungs through your bloodstream, affecting your breath.
  • Tobacco products- smoking creates an unpleasant mouth odor. Additionally, smokers and oral tobacco users are also more likely to have gum disease, another source of bad breath.
  • Poor dental hygiene, abandoning regular brushing and flossing habits allow food particles to linger in your mouth. Plaque, a colorless, sticky film of bacteria covers your teeth. By not brushing it away, plaque can irritate your gums forming plaque-filled pockets between your teeth and gums known as periodontitis or gum disease. Your tongue also traps odor producing bacteria. Dentures that aren’t cleaned regularly or fit improperly create odor-causing bacteria and trap food bits.
  • Dry mouth- saliva helps cleanse your mouth, removing particles that cause bad odors. A condition called dry mouth, or xerostomia contributes to bad breath due to decreased production of saliva. Occurring naturally during sleep, dry mouth often leads to “morning breath,” and worsens if you sleep with your mouth open. Often chronic dry mouth is caused by salivary gland issues and some diseases.
  • Medications- there are types of medications that indirectly produce bad breath by causing dry mouth. Some medicines may be broken down in the body to releasing chemicals that appearing on your breath.
  • Infections and surgeries- surgical cuts after oral surgery, such as tooth removal, mouth sores, and other infections from tooth decay or gum disease many times lead to bad breath.
  • Certain mouth, nose and throat conditions will cause bad breath occasionally stemming from small stones covered in bacteria that develop in the tonsils and produce odor. Infections or chronic inflammation in the nose, sinuses or throat, which can contribute to postnasal drip, also can cause bad breath.
  • Other bad breath culprits- some cancers, and ailments such as metabolic disorders lead to notable breath odor as a result of the chemicals they produce. Chronic reflux of stomach acids (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) also leads to halitosis. Young children with bad breath may have a foreign body, such as a piece of food, lodged in a nostril.

Schedule a visit today with one of our skilled professionals at 2000 Yonge Dental to determine if your bad breath needs more than a breath mint.


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