Maybe you’ve been battling bad breath for years. Or, perhaps, it’s a new problem – either way, you probably want it to go away.
Before you can get rid of bad breath, you have to pinpoint what’s causing it. Is it a lack of good oral hygiene? Gum disease or gingivitis? Maybe it’s seasonal allergies (yes, that could be a cause!). Or maybe it has to do with something going on deeper inside your body – a medical condition, perhaps.
The following are the 5 most common causes of bad breath.
1: Poor Oral Hygiene
If you don’t brush and floss teeth daily, food particles can remain in your mouth, promoting bacterial growth between teeth, around the gums, and on the tongue. This causes bad breath. Antibacterial mouth rinses also can help reduce bacteria.
In addition, odor-causing bacteria and food particles can cause bad breath if dentures are not properly cleaned.
2: Seasonal Allergies
Mucus and nasal drip provide a fertile breeding ground for the nasty germs that cause bad breath. Often when eliminating allergy symptoms, you experience dry mouth. This too causes bad breath.
3: Diabetes
Diabetics suffer from inadequate insulin production. This leads the body to burn fat, a condition known as ketoacidosis. Which in turn leads to an increase in ketones, which the body attempts to eliminate through urine and the lungs. This leads to a breath that has a fruit like odor or odor like acetone.
4: Acid Reflux
For those who suffer from chronic acid reflux, keeping the mouth cleaned is imperative. A review of several studies on patients suffering from GERD (Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease) found halitosis frequently plagues these patients. The influx of acids and other partially digested material into the esophagus and mouth cavity can create problems for keeping the oral cavity clean.
5: Candida Albicans
Never heard of this? That’s because you probably don’t wear dentures or have a tongue piercing. This is a yeast that forms near dental appliances, causing bad breath.
If you brush and floss your teeth regularly and still suffer from bad breath – call us for an immediate consultation. Bad breath should not be tolerated – nor ignored.