You’ve no doubt experienced having a conversation with someone who has bad breath. Bad breath can be pretty repulsive, which makes treating it that much more important. Bad breath is a sensitive subject, so no one is likely to tell you your breath is smelly, but if you see people running the other way while you’re standing under the mistletoe, take the hint! 

How Can You Tell When You Have Bad Breath?

One way to discover the state of your breath is to perform a simple sniff test. The sniff test is not pleasant and it is not foolproof, but it will give you an idea of whether or not your breath is bad.  

• Lick the back of your hand, let the saliva dry and then smell the saliva. (Does it smell fresh or off-putting?)
• Floss your back teeth and smell the floss.
• Scrape your tongue, let the scraper dry, then smell the scraper.

Follow this link for other tips on testing your own breath.  If you still wonder about how your own breath smells, you can ask a close friend or relative to confirm your bad-breath questions.

Bad Breath Can Be Caused by a Number of Factors

If you are wondering how to prevent bad breath, consider some of the factors that contribute to it:

Certain foods, such as garlic and onions, can lead to halitosis, but perpetual bad breath is not just the result of spicy foods.

Improper oral hygiene, dry mouth, medications, dentures, or gum disease can cause bad breath. Before you hang the mistletoe, make an appointment with Dr. Shane S. Porter at Premier Dentistry of Eagle, in order to have a mistletoe-worthy mouth.

In many cases, you can improve bad breath with consistent proper dental hygiene. When you don’t thoroughly clean your teeth, gums, and tongue each day, bad breath may result from remaining bits of food and the growth of bacteria in your mouth. Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) from poor dental hygiene can also cause bad breath.

Health conditions are also among the causes of halitosis. If simple self-care techniques don’t solve the problem, see Dr. Porter to make sure a more serious condition isn’t causing your bad breath.

Continuous Halitosis Can be a Symptom of Other Issues

Bad breath, or halitosis, isn’t something to disregard. HealthLink provides the following information for learning about the importance of taking halitosis seriously. No doubt those close to you would agree that bad breath is a serious issue, at least an unpleasant issue to deal with. But, luckily, it is a condition that can be treated and taken care of without any serious invasive measures. 

When to See Your Dentist About Halitosis

Besides food and poor dental hygiene, halitosis can be a symptom of other conditions. The following are just a few conditions to consider which affect your mouth, teeth, gums and breath:

Dry Mouth

Saliva works continually to wash out your mouth. If you don’t produce enough saliva, your mouth isn’t being cleaned as much as it should be. Certain medications can also cause dry mouth, but you may have salivary gland problems, which ultimately can lead to tooth decay due to the lack of saliva. To produce more saliva, eat foods that require a lot of chewing, like carrots, celery or apples. Sugar-free gum or sugar-free candies will also produce saliva and will not introduce sugar to your diet, which damages your teeth.

Gum Disease

If you have an endless bad taste in your mouth, it can be a warning sign of advanced gum disease. Bad breath that just won’t go away could be caused by plaque or a cavity causing bacteria on your teeth and gums.

Medical Conditions

Although bad breath in and of itself is not serious, it can be a symptom of a more serious illness. Periodontal disease can affect more than your breath.  It can also lead to heart problems. Kidney and liver failure can cause bad breath and are life-threatening illnesses. Diabetes, lung infections, gastrointestinal illnesses are all diseases that affect your breath.

Dr. Porter will need to do a thorough examination in order to diagnose the cause of your bad breath. Before any dental treatment can begin, he will need to know your medical history. If there have been any changes in your health or medications since your last visit with Dr. Porter, make sure you share those. 

If your bad breath is caused by poor oral hygiene, Dr. Porter and his team of expert hygienists can work with you to develop a treatment plan that minimizes odor. If your bad breath doesn’t stem from your oral hygiene practices, Dr. Porter will determine the course of action to take at that point during your dental check-up.

How Can You Freshen Your Mouth?

To keep your mouth invitingly fresh, consider taking the following steps:

• Brush with a fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day and floss between your teeth daily to get rid of bacteria that is causing your bad breath. The longer you wait to brush and floss away food in your mouth, the more likely your breath will offend. This goes for removable dentures too. Be sure to take them out every night, thoroughly clean them and soak overnight in a cleaning solution.
• Brush your tongue. Bad breath bacteria clings on the back of your tongue. Without brushing or scraping it away, the white or brownish film will just hang out, causing bad breath.
• Antiseptic mouthwash can help kill bacteria and neutralize your bad breath. It’s not a permanent solution, but it can freshen your mouth temporarily.
• Chew sugarless gum to keep your breath fresh. This is only a temporary solution and does not offer anything other than less-offensive breath.

Routine Dental Check-ups Will Save You the Embarrassment Bad Breath Can Bring

Bad breath affects personal, social and business relationships. If you’re concerned about what’s causing your bad breath, make an appointment to see Dr. Porter. Regular checkups allow him to detect any problems such as gum disease or dry mouth and stop them before they become more serious. Check out our website to learn more about the services we provide, then call for an appointment at (208) 546-0655.

Premier Dentistry of Eagle offers complete dentistry for the whole family, no matter what your dental needs are. Located at 467 South Rivershore Lane in Eagle, Idaho, we also serve patients in the Star, Middleton, Meridian, Garden City, and Boise, Idaho communities.

Call or visit us today to set up your consultation with our friendly and professional team. Let Dr. Porter help you freshen your breath before you find yourself under the mistletoe!