Keys to Controlling Bad Breath

Artistic Touch Dentist wants to discuss with you what causes bad breath and how you can control it. No one likes being self-conscious about how their breath is smelling and if you are serious about learning what is causing your bad breath, schedule an appointment with us. Given your full medical and dental history along with an oral examination, we should be able to identify the culprit.

The causes of bad breath are numerous and include:

• Certain foods

• Alcohol or cigarettes

• Poor oral hygiene

• Periodontal disease

• Diabetes

• Dry mouth

• Sinus or throat infections

• Lung infections or abscesses

• Kidney/liver failure

• Gastrointestinal issues

• Severe dieting

By having good oral hygiene, you can combat bad breath at home. It’s important to brush with a fluoride antibacterial toothpaste and floss twice a day. However, the one thing that most people forget about is their tongue. Brushing your tongue will remove odor-causing bacteria.

Colgate reported, “a published study reported that tongue and tooth brushing in combination with dental flossing significantly decreased bleeding of the gum tissue over a two week period of time as well as reduced bad breath. Another clinical study conducted by the University of Buffalo dental researchers confirmed that brushing twice a day with an antibacterial toothpaste and using a toothbrush with a tongue cleaner can eliminate bad breath also.”

Cleaning your tongue is very important. You can purchase toothbrushes with the tongue cleaner on the back of the toothbrush for cleaning both your teeth and tongue. “After brushing your upper and lower teeth with an antibacterial toothpaste, flip the toothbrush over to the tongue cleaner and place the tongue cleaner in the posterior region of the tongue and move it forward to the anterior section of the tongue. After you have scraped that portion of the tongue, rinse the tongue brush off with warm water to remove any odor causing bacteria. Then replace the tongue brush in the next posterior section again and repeat as described above,” Colgate explained.

Give our dentists at Artistic Touch Dentistry a call if you have any questions about how you can get rid of bad breath.