Whoa Nelly! Let’s Tackle That Bad Breath
Ahhhhhh, isn’t this the question of the century. Bad breath, also known as Halitosis, is something we always worry about and dread!
Let us start by helping you with a quick and fun demonstration. You have to participate with us, though, okay?
Okay, first things first. Please go grab some floss.
Next, get that floss between a few of your back teeth.
Scrape up and down on the sides of those teeth.
Done?
Now...
Smell the floss.....
YES, SMELL IT! Right in the area that you used for the scraping.
Whatcha think??? Does it smell simply lovely?
Our first source of bad breath comes from bacteria and food debris rotting between our teeth.
Our brush does not clean this area out. Floss HAD to be invented, and it’s important to use it, no matter how much of a pain it can be. If not, the bacteria and rotting food remain.
It’s also very important to get our teeth cleaned regularly to clear out the tartar that builds up from what we miss.
We’re not perfect after all, and once plaque turns into tartar, your honest dentist or dental hygienist will need to scrape it off with their instruments.
Of course, if flossing is important, brushing is equally as important.
Don’t forget to brush well, in a pattern, for two whole minutes. The smelly plaque bacteria sticks all over your teeth.
Make sure that your teeth feel smooth everywhere when you are done.
Run your tongue around them all to find any spots that you may have missed.
Dirty teeth with plaque on them feel rough, as if you have “sweaters on your teeth.” Clean teeth feel smooth when you run your tongue across them.
Electric toothbrushes have created miracles in our patients’ mouths.
If you don’t have one yet, please read the SODA we have spilled for you on those. We reveal our favorite brands and why so that you can narrow down all of those choices.
Next, rinse with a mouthwash to help heal any gingivitis infection in your gums.
Gingivitis is gum disease. If you EVER see any bleeding when you are brushing or flossing at home, you HAVE gum disease in that area.
It’s highly unlikely that the bleeding was caused by you snapping the floss too hard, we promise.
Hopefully, you have been getting your teeth cleaned regularly, and the area is cleared of tartar. If so, all you need to do is brush, floss, and then rinse the area with “anti-gingivitis” mouthwash, such as Listerine or all-natural Theives. Rinse every day for ONE week, and that infection should go away. Then, just keep it up.
You have to keep flossing, at least Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or the gingivitis will come back.
Plaque starts forming within 8 minutes of removing Tartar can be fully formed within 24 hours.
It’s up to you to keep this stuff out of your mouth, at home, while it’s still soft and removable…before it turns into tartar.
After all, you see yourself 365 days a year. Even if you get your teeth cleaned every 3 months, that’s only 4 days a year that your almighty hygienist sees you. The miracles don’t happen at those appointments. The miracles happen in the everyday routine.
Finally, drink plenty of water
Dehydration does not help bad breath, so be sure that you are drinking half of your body weight, but in ounces. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should strive to drink 80 ounces of water a day.
Your brain and all of your other organs will love you for it too. You’ll have more energy, have fewer cravings, and your body will just work better and be healthier.
If none of the steps above help, bad breath could be the symptom of a bigger problem.
1. A large area of decay, or a cavity in your tooth, could be trapping excess bacteria and rotten food.
Be sure that you are visiting your honest dentist regularly so that cavities don’t become too large.
Cavities don’t always hurt, so you may have something going on that you don’t know about.
2. You may have periodontal disease happening.
Periodontal disease is a silent dental disease in which the bacteria in the mouth wants to eat away at your gum and bone instead of eating away at your teeth. This bone is what holds your teeth in your head. You want to keep it around!
If left untreated, teeth can just fall out by themselves.
Much of the time, periodontal disease does not hurt, and the only symptom is a very distinct smell, which dental professionals know quite well.
So again, it’s extremely important to see your honest dentist and have regular dental cleanings to prevent this. Please make an appointment as soon as you can, if it’s been a long time.
3. It may not be a dental-related problem at all. Sometimes the source of the bad breath is coming from an unhealthy gut.
Drinking your correct amount of water daily may help. Eating healthy definitely helps. But, you may need to make an appointment with your primary physician to see if everything is okay there.
Always remember, take care of yourself. You are worth it.
Floss
Brush
Rinse
Drink your water
Eat Healthy
Get your teeth cleaned regularly.
You…are…worth…it.
Though it would be best if we did, we’ll never claim to know it all, all of the time. NO ONE knows it all! We do claim honesty, though, and we sincerely want to help as many people as we can! Our patients have maintained beautifully, following our conservative recommendations :)
So, thanks so much for reading and letting us spill our SODA! Remember to take the time to find your HONEST DENTIST, and be sure to browse around our links and follow us on social media for answers to more of your exciting dental questions, like:
