When to Ditch Your Breath Mints and See Your Dentist

Does your struggle with bad breath keep your pockets full of mints? If you suffer from bad breath/halitosis on a daily basis, we understand that your self-confidence is threatened. When it comes to chronic bad breath, however, you should know that using peppermints may only be masking your condition, or even making it worse. Bad breath, medically termed halitosis, needs to be treated at its root cause, which can be a number of things. Your dentist is the best place to start if you want to get rid of your embarrassing breath odor for good.

What Causes Halitosis?

Halitosis is more than just garlic breath after eating Italian. Halitosis is an oral health condition that is caused by excess oral bacteria in the mouth. This is typically a result of poor oral hygiene since bacteria lives and breeds on sugars and plaque when they are not cleaned from your teeth, gums and tongue. In fact, when bacteria combines with sugars, it produces a Sulphur compound that emits a foul odor. If you don’t want this odor in your mouth, it is a good idea to start brushing and flossing with an extra effort to clean all sides of your tongue, a place that bacteria loves to hide.

Poor oral hygiene isn’t the only culprit to bad breath. Halitosis can also be a symptom of an underlying dental health problem, such as an untreated cavity or gum disease. Keep in mind that when gum disease is neglected, it can progress enough to cause tissue damage and tooth loss. Pay attention to the condition of your gums and teeth if you have chronic bad breath.

There are also cases in which halitosis is out of your control. Certain medications can also lead to stinky breath. This is commonly due to dry mouth, which is a side effect of many prescriptions and antihistamines. When there is a lack of saliva in the mouth, food debris and bacteria don’t always get rinsed away properly. Lingering oral bacteria is a primary trigger for halitosis.

Halitosis Treatment for All Ages

No one is exempt from bad breath, whether you are a toddler or a senior citizen. At Manhattan Dental Design, we offer effective halitosis treatment for patients of all ages. Our first and foremost goal will be to determine the cause of your bad breath. From there, we can recommend a long-term plan of relief so that you can get back to a confident, fresh smile! Call our office today to learn how you can stop halitosis.

Posted on behalf of Manhattan Dental Design

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