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You brush regularly and pride yourself on being cavity-free. But your breath still smells bad. What gives? Why would your breath stink even if you keep up with your dental health? Read on, and see the most common causes of bad breath in this blog from Smileform Dentistry.
It’s best to brush at least twice a day for two minutes and to use an ADA-accepted, fluoride-based toothpaste. If you’re not brushing at least twice per day, you may need to step up your oral hygiene routine. And if you want to help prevent bad breath, you may want to consider brushing after every meal.
And even if you brush enough, you may still have bad breath if you don’t floss. Flossing removes food particles, bacteria, and other debris that can’t be eliminated with brushing alone. Even if you brush, your breath still may stink unless you floss once per day.
Okay, so you do keep up with your dental health, and you’re brushing twice a day and flossing once per day. What is causing your bad breath? Dehydration could be a factor. If you don’t drink enough water, your mouth won’t produce much saliva.
Saliva is essential for “rinsing” food particles and bacteria away from your mouth. So if you have dry mouth, this may make your breath smell bad. This also increases your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. And beyond dehydration, some health conditions and medicines can also contribute to dry mouth.
Smoking, using chewing tobacco, and even vaping can contribute to bad breath. The scent of tobacco and vapes can be quite strong, and may make your breath smell bad. Vaping, smoking, and using other types of tobacco also are associated with dry mouth, and a higher risk of gum disease, cavities, and other oral health conditions that can contribute to bad breath.
If you smoke, vape, or use any other kind of tobacco product, quitting will definitely make your breath fresher, and will also help protect your oral health and overall health.
As a rule, foods that have a strong smell and taste can also cause bad breath. Coffee, garlic, onions, curry, and fish are common culprits. After you eat, the compounds of these foods may stick around your mouth for a while, contributing to bad breath. To help with this, you can cut back on these foods, or make sure you brush and/or use mouthwash after meals containing strongly-scented, spiced, and flavored foods.
You may think that you keep up with your dental health. But unless you’re seeing a dentist for regular, six-month cleanings and checkups, you won’t know for sure. Some oral health conditions like tooth decay, infections, and even gum disease are difficult to notice on your own, and can cause bad breath.
So even if you think that your mouth is healthy, you can’t be sure until you see a dentist for preventive dental care. You may be surprised to find out that your bad breath is being caused by a previously-undiagnosed oral health condition.
Bad breath is more than just an annoyance. It can be an early warning sign that something’s not quite right with your oral health. So if your breath smells even though you take care of your mouth, turn to the experts. You can contact Smileform Dentistry online or give us a call at (267) 692-2922 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Inna Solovey. We’re always accepting new patients in the Newtown Square area, and we look forward to meeting you.
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