What Causes Bad Breath?

Bad breath is a part of life. An unfortunate and slightly problematic part of life. We all know that bad breath can pop up at the most inopportune moments such as a first date, a job interview, or even an everyday conversation. But what causes bad breath in the first place? At West Gate Dental, we want to educate you on the causes of bad breath and how to deal with it. Our staff knows the ins and outs of the human mouth, we have truly seen it all. We have come up with what we know to be the primary causes of bad breath and how we can decrease it's unfortunate presence.

Bad breath is defined as foul-smelling breath emitted from your mouth. Many different factors cause bad breath, including:

• Poor dental hygiene
  
• Dry mouth
  
• Smoking
  
• Respiratory and other infections
  
• Acid reflux
  
• Consumption of poor or strong smelling foods like onions or garlic
  
  

As you chew your food and the saliva begins to break down your food, small pieces may be left behind in your gums, teeth, or on your tongue. These small particles can lead to poor smelling breath, even if you have the highest degree of oral hygiene. Saliva cleanses your mouth of food particles and works as the first line of defense against bad breath. However, if you suffer from dry mouth, your salivary glands are not producing enough saliva to remove these small particles of food and then causing bad breath. Daily choices or specific health disorders may also be increasing your level of bad breath.

At our Lincoln, Nebraska dental office, we recommend following these three steps to combat bad breath:

1. Best oral hygiene practices: brush your teeth twice a day and floss daily
2. Brush or scrub your tongue to eliminate excess food particles and odor-causing bacteria
3. Visit your family dentist every six months for a teeth cleaning and checkup

Bad breath is nothing to be afraid of, but we want to ensure your mouth is as healthy as it should be. We always stress high quality oral hygiene. Your teeth, smile, and breath truly can make the first impression, let's make sure it's the best impression. By adequately brushing and flossing daily, you will keep your teeth and mouth in tip-top shape. And, to ensure everything is going well, our staff is here for two checkups a year. Through a simple teeth cleaning every six months, we can determine the health of your teeth and mouth. If there is anything out of the ordinary or you are experiencing bad breath in excess, we can find the root of the issue. 

Fresh breath may not ruin a first impression, but bad breath definitely can, let's make sure that doesn't happen! As always, for further questions or concerns, call or come by our office in Lincoln, Nebraska for more information. Our friendly staff and dentist will be more than happy to advise in any bad breath situation or oral hygiene concern. We are confident that we can help you achieve an excellent level of oral health, including fresh smelling breath. Set up an appointment for a checkup today! Odor free breath will be a reality for you!