What is bad breath, and how is it defined clinically?
Clinically, bad breath is described as halitosis, and it is prolonged bad breath that lasts longer than a week or two or comes back quickly after normal brushing or home care.
What are the most common causes of bad breath?
The most common causes of bad breath are bacteria in your mouth. The most common causes we see from this would be diseases, cavities, dry mouth, and certain infections.
What is halitosis, and how is it different than regular bad breath?
Halitosis is just bad breath that is persistent. It is something that lasts for a couple of weeks or comes back relatively quickly after brushing your teeth or after eating, as opposed to just having bad breath from certain foods or morning breath.
Can cavities or tooth decay cause bad breath?
Absolutely, it definitely can. Cavities are just bacteria in your mouth, and bacteria are what really cause bad breath in your mouth. Cavity decayed teeth will trap bacteria, and then that bacteria can lead to bad breath.
Can wisdom teeth contribute to bad breath?
The answer is absolutely. Partially erupted wisdom teeth can cause a little trap back there, which can trap food, bacteria, and other things, leading to bad breath.
Is it normal to have bad breath after a tooth extraction?
Sometimes you might have a very minimal odor coming from your mouth, but an increasing odor or bad breath could be a sign that something else is going on. If you are having some extreme or major bad breath after an extraction, definitely give the dentist a call.
What are the signs that bad breath is chronic?
Chronic bad breath would be if your bad breath lasts for more than two weeks, if it comes back relatively quickly after home care, or if other people notice your bad breath.
What dental treatments can help with bad breath?
There are multiple dental treatments that can help, depending on what's causing the bad breath. Normally, dental treatments, normal cleanings, sometimes taking care of the infection that's causing the bad breath, and just taking a look to make sure that everything's nice and healthy and there's no infections or gum disease is our main way to help with bad breath.
What toothpaste or mouthwash to look for when fighting bad breath?
We normally recommend looking for an antibacterial toothpaste and a non-alcohol mouthwash that is used to kill the actual bacteria causing the bad breath instead of just masking it.
What are some home remedies that can be used to fight bad breath?
There are multiple, but the main ones are drinking plenty of water, continuing your home care, brushing and flossing twice a day, avoiding excessive amounts of coffee, and hopefully not smoking at all or using tobacco.
How can someone tell if they have bad breath?
Common signs are if you're noticing that your mouth is dry, you have a bad taste in your mouth, or if people step back when you're talking to them; these all might be signs you have bad breath. We can also check for you here at the dental office.
Is it possible to treat bad breath permanently?
Yes, for sure. Once we figure out the underlying cause of your bad breath, we can make a treatment plan to take care of it. That should take care of the underlying cause of your bad breath and resolve it for good.
Your dental health matters to us, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. If you’re looking for expert dental care near Denver, CO, call (720) 797-5554 or email [email protected] to learn more. Ready to get started? Schedule your appointment below.