Bleeding Gums & Bad Breath – Treatment
at Woodbury Dental and Laser Clinic in Kent
No one wants to have bad breath – and the embarrassment that comes with knowing that unpleasant odours can come out every time the mouth is opened.
The problems associated with bad breath do not end with the unpleasant smells emanating from the mouth – the foul smell may be indicative of more serious dental or health problems, which should be determined early on to facilitate correct dental treatment.
What Causes Bad Breath?
Poor Oral Hygiene
Poor oral hygiene is a sure-fire way to get bad breath. When the mouth is not cleaned properly, food particles can be left on the surfaces of the teeth, and between the gum line; these food bits can interact with bacteria that are naturally present inside the mouth, and can cause bad breath (and a host of other dental problems).
Tooth Decay
The bacteria that cause tooth decay can also result to bad breath problems – especially if the tooth decay is left untreated for a long time, and has already spread to neighbouring teeth and gum tissue.
Gum Problems
Bad breath can be the result of bacteria present in gum diseases that have been left untreated, and have become infected.
Dry Mouth
A dry mouth condition may be caused by an underlying medical condition, or dehydration. The mouth needs to be well hydrated so that any food particles that may be left can be washed away – and so that breath is kept from smelling stale or bad.
Medical Conditions
Bad breath can be a manifestation of certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, metabolism disorders, kidney problems, liver problems, and infections that affect the throat, tonsils, sinuses, or the lungs.
Smoking/Tobacco Use
Smoking and the use of tobacco products can leave the breath smelling less than pleasant – more so if the smoker or tobacco user does not practise good oral hygiene. The use of tobacco products and smoking can also lead to more serious dental problems, such as oral cancer.
Bad Breath Prevention
Practise good oral hygiene habits. Make sure that you properly brush your teeth on a regular basis, with the help of toothpaste with fluoride. The use of dental floss will also ensure that food bits or particles are removed from between teeth and the gum line – so that bacteria cannot interact with these food bits and cause plaque to form.
Clean your tongue. This is an often neglected portion of proper oral hygiene practises. The surface of the tongue can trap bacteria and food particles that can easily contribute to the development of bad breath, so it is important to keep the tongue surface clean. A tongue cleaner or tongue scraper will effectively remove the film on the tongue surface that can cause unpleasant-smelling breath.
Use an antibacterial mouthwash. The mouthwash will help in the elimination of bacteria that cause bad breath, and will help keep the whole mouth area clean as well.
Go for regular dental checkups with a Kent dentist. The dental checkups will enable the dentist to check for any dental problems that may have just started, so that the corresponding dental treatment can be given. The checkups will also help the dentist in determining the underlying cause of bad breath, if it is an existing problem.
Drink lots of water. Proper hydration plays a key role in the prevention of bad breath, because a dry mouth is more prone to the multiplication of bad breath-causing bacteria. Drinking or even gargling with water washes away any food particles that have been left inside the mouth after meals – especially in cases when tooth brushing cannot be done immediately after eating.
Stop smoking, or using tobacco products. Smoking or using tobacco products can leave the mouth with an unpleasant smell, and are also responsible for unsightly teeth stains. Quitting the smoking habit will not only enable you to keep away from bad breath problems – it will also keep you away from more serious dental problems like mouth or oral cancer.
Avoid heavy consumption of coffee, beer, and wine. These beverages are known to contribute to bad breath symptoms – which may originate from either inside the mouth, or from the digestive system itself.
Eat a balanced diet. What you eat can have a huge impact on how your breath smells like. A diet that consists mainly of red meat may cause problems in the digestive system, which can in turn be evident in bad breath symptoms. A diet with fruits, vegetables, and herbs, on the other hand, can translate to fresher-smelling breath.
Chew sugar-free gum. Gum-chewing stimulates the production of saliva, which prevents a dry mouth condition. Improved saliva production also aids in sweeping away food bits inside the mouth, which can merge with bacteria to produce bad breath. Sucking on a breath mint will also help in ridding the mouth of unpleasant smells.
