Bad Breath Causes, Prevention and Treatment
People of all ages and walks of life can experience bad breath, or halitosis. While its causes are varied, those afflicted with bad breath tend to experience embarrassment about the condition. Years of research have targeted the wide-ranging causes of bad breath, which can be cured with the help of a dental professional.
For residents of Orange County, including Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, and Fountain Valley, bad breath treatment is available and convenient at the dentistry offices of Andrew G. Mortensen D.D.S. A Fountain Valley cosmetic dentist serving patients with a variety of dental issues, cosmetic and otherwise, Dr. Mortensen and his practiced team can customize a safe, effective and long-lasting plan of action to combat and beat your bad breath - and its causes.
What’s Causing My Bad Breath?
While bad breath is easy to recognize, its causes range from the obvious to the elusive and sometimes serious. These include:
- Odorous Foods and Tobacco: Garlic and other naturally pungent foods can have an equally pungent and often exacerbated affect on the way your breath smells. The same goes for tobacco products, which can stay on breath long after they are smoked.
- Poor Oral Care: Neglecting your dentist-recommended oral hygiene regimen can lead to a buildup of plaque and bacteria on your tongue, teeth, and gums. The presence of plaque and bacteria can create a very real halitosis problem. This affects patients who wear dentures as well, as the dentures can harbor food particles and bacteria in the same way as natural teeth.
- Gum Disease and Tooth Decay: These dental conditions are caused by poor oral care, and their symptoms can create a foul odor as well; the presence of plaque, bacteria, and infection produce an unpleasant odor.
- Dry Mouth: Dry mouth leads to bad breath because of the mouth’s lack of saliva. Saliva breaks down and washes away food particles in the first step in digestion. With dry mouth, bacteria can feed on the food and plaque is left in the mouth, producing the acids that cause bad breath.
- Other Infection and Disease: Disease and other serious conditions can lead to bad breath, such as liver conditions, cancer, and acid reflux. A dental professional like Dr. Mortensen will recommend further consultation in these rare but serious cases.
How to Beat Halitosis
If you are ready to deal with your bad breath and the embarrassment it causes, Fountain Valley cosmetic dentist Andrew Mortensen will provide you specialized treatment.
Some of the easiest cures for halitosis are a strict and thorough dental hygiene plan that you follow each day to eliminate plaque and bacteria by flossing, brushing, and using mouthwash at least twice daily. These practices dually benefit long-term tooth and gum health, reducing your risk for gum disease and tooth decay greatly and preventing halitosis.
Tasty as they may be, reducing your consumption of “stinky” foods like garlic and onion and alcoholic beverages will quickly reduce any effect they are having on your breath. Ask Dr. Mortensen for help in targeting other foods in your diet that can be causing your halitosis.
If bad breath persists, patients should undergo an exam so Dr. Mortensen can identify other potential causes. If your halitosis is caused by gum disease, he and his team will help cure and reverse its effects. Dr. Mortensen can offer at his office in Fountain Valley dental crowns, as well as tooth removal, reconstruction and other cosmetic and reconstructive procedures that can remove part or all of a dead or affected tooth and repair it to full functionality.
While bad breath can be an embarrassing condition to live with, we assure you that the staff at Andrew G. Mortensen, D.D.S., will treat you respectfully and with the utmost care and personalized attention to deal with this problem quickly. For a consultation on bad breath and a comprehensive list of other cosmetic, reconstructive, and general dentistry services, please Contact us for a consultation today.