Halitosis is the scientific name of bad breath. Bad breath is primarily caused by mouth bacteria. If you want, you could try to schedule an appointment with Hollywood’s Halitosis expert, who, apparently, charges nearly $3000 to analyze your breath and offer you solutions.
However, proper oral hygiene, including regular dental visits, can limit halitosis.
What Really Causes Halitosis
Halitosis is due to the presence of anaerobic bacteria in the mouth. Anaerobic bacteria don’t breathe oxygen like you, I, and most animals on this planet. Instead, they process their food with sulfur. This means that, instead of exhaling odorless carbon dioxide, they excrete sulfur compounds with a terrible smell.
Preventing Halitosis
The key to preventing halitosis is to reduce the numbers of these anaerobic bacteria growing in your mouth. Oxygen is toxic to them, so they like to grow places where it’s hard for oxygen to reach them, between your teeth, around your gums, and especially below your gum line.
Here’s how you can keep them under control:
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Thoroughly brush teeth, including around the gum-line. Remember, though, don’t be too aggressive, or you can irritate your gums.
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Floss daily. Make sure you’re getting down to and below the gum line and curving around each tooth.
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Make your regular oral hygiene and checkup visits to the dentist.
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Stay hydrated. Saliva is the number one inhibitor of all bacteria growth in the mouth, and if your mouth is dry, bacteria may grow more easily.
This should significantly reduce your bad breath, though you may still experience it somewhat in the morning—saliva production reduces at night, allowing bacteria to grow.
Still Have Bad Breath?
If you still have halitosis after following the above steps, it may be a sign that you’re suffering from a potentially serious condition. You need to make a dental appointment to make sure you aren’t suffering from gum disease–an infection below the gum line that allows anaerobic bacteria to thrive—or an infected tooth—which may be full of anaerobic bacteria. If necessary, we can recommend gum disease treatment or a root canal to take care of these problems.
Please contact Ascent Dental in the Cherry Creek area of Denver today for an appointment.