What You Can Do About Bad Breath

Improving bad breath and keeping your teeth and gums healthy are really the same process. Dr. Ken Magri, and the oral healthcare professionals at Westbrook Village Dental, located in Peoria, Arizona, want to educate its patients, new and current, on the causes and the remedies for bad breath.

Brush and Floss More Often

The build-up of plaque on the teeth and the bacteria in the mouth will cause bad breath. Brush your teeth as least twice per day, and flossing at least once, will rid the mouth of plaque, bacteria and food particles.

Be careful not to overdo things, as brushing too hard too often will wear down the enamel making the teeth vulnerable to decay.

Rinse Out Your Mouth

An antiseptic mouthwash will kill the germs and the bacteria that cause bad breath. A mouth rinse that is minty, but not an antiseptic, will only cover up bad breath and will not eliminate the cause.

Scrape Your Tongue

Gently brush your tongue after brushing your teeth. The white coating that forms on the tongue is a host for smelly bacteria.

People often use a tongue scraper if they feel a toothbrush is too large to comfortably reach the back of the tongue.

Avoid Foods that Sour the Breath

Onions and garlic are the biggest offenders of bad breath and brushing your teeth after eating either will not help. The substances that cause their smells make their way into the bloodstream and the lungs where you breathe out the smell.

Although onions are garlic are good for you, you may want to avoid them if you are around others who are not eating these.

Kick the Tobacco Habit

Besides causing cancer, tobacco products will also cause damage to the gums, stain the teeth and give you bad breath.

Skip After-Dinner Mints and Chew Sugarless Gum Instead

Bacteria flourishes with sugar and after-dinner mints are high in sugar. By chewing sugarless gum, the production of saliva is stimulated. Saliva is the mouth’s natural defense against bacteria and plaque acids that cause tooth decay and bad breath.

Keep Your Gums Healthy

Gum disease also causes bad breath because of the bacteria colonizing in the pockets at the base of the teeth at the gumline.

Moisten Your Mouth

Tooth decay and bad breath will result if you cannot produce enough saliva. Drink plenty of water during the day, chew sugarless gum or suck on a sugarless hard candy to stimulate the production of saliva.

See Your Doctor

New patients are always welcome at Westbrook Village Dental.