If you feel as though you have bad breath, a dental cleaning can help. Persistent bad breath, known as halitosis, can be caused by a variety of different reasons. Dental cleaning in our office can improve it- especially when it is related to the bacteria in your mouth.
Reasons for Bad Breath
Normal Bad Breath: While normal amounts bad breath can occur when one does not brush his or her teeth for a few hours, the more often one does not brush, the worse it can smell. Since the mouth is full of millions of bacteria, it can easily become overrun with stinky smells. This can be fixed by a quick tooth brushing and flossing.
Improper Dental Hygiene: If one does not brush and floss enough, food particles can remain trapped between teeth. This can cause decay which may also be to blame for bad breath. If food particles are stuck for too long, they can begin to rot causing stinky breath to occur. When visiting our office for a dental cleaning, we can improve one's breath and instruct people on better oral hygiene practices.
Food:Some foods and drinks have stronger smells that remain in the mouth for hours to days. It may take longer for brushing to remove these smells. Coffee, garlic, onions, and cheese are a few of the culprits.
Mouth Infection: If a patient has a severe cavity, mouth sores, or periodontal disease, which is also known as gum disease, the infection can cause an unpleasant odor. For these issues, visit our office for a checkup and dental cleaning.
General Infection: Infections in the throat or sinuses can also contribute to bad breath. These can be improved by visiting a doctor for antibiotics or other appropriate treatment.
Tobacco Use: Consistent smoking and other forms of tobacco use can give patients a stale stench in their mouth. Smoking and tobacco use are also bad for oral health in general.
Dry Mouth: Dry mouth has a variety of causes. A doctor can help determine why people have dry mouth. Since saliva helps cleanse the mouth and remove food and bacteria, dry mouth can lead to bad breath.
Tonsil Stones: Tonsil stones commonly occur when food particles or bacteria get stuck in the flaps of the tonsils. When this occurs, bacteria growth happens and an unpleasant odor may follow. Patients can try to remove tonsil stones by rinsing with mouthwash or by gently prodding them with q-tips. If the tonsil stones worsen or do not come out within a few days, visit a doctor to make sure it does not cause for concern.
These are a few of the causes of bad breath in many of our patients. A proper dental cleaning can improve your breath drastically. We will remove unnecessary bacteria and plaque build-up that may be contributing to unpleasant odors. Not only will a dental cleaning in our Placentia dental office improve your breath, but it will also improve your overall dental health.
Recent Posts
A professional dental cleaning is needed twice a year; however, many people are not sure why. Aside from the obvious fact that cleanings promote good oral health, it can be helpful to know more about the specifics. Outlined below are four reasons to get a professional dental cleaning from a general dentist.One of the main reasons…
A dental cleaning and examinations are one of the best ways you can help prevent having serious oral health problems now or in the future. When you come in for a regularly scheduled dentist cleaning and examinations, you give us the opportunity to do two specific things.First, we are able to give your teeth a…
Preventive dentistry is a branch of dentistry that focuses on protecting your mouth against common dental issues like tooth decay and gum disease. It include simple things that you can do independently, like practicing oral hygiene, and procedures performed by dentists, like dental cleanings.Taking good care of your mouth makes you less likely to develop…
Did your general dentist recommend root canal therapy? You may need a root canal, which is a technical dental procedure that is done to correct and restore oral health. In this article, we will take a look at what root canals are and why your dentist may have recommended one.A root canal may be necessary…