Halitosis – Preventing Bad Breath

14 / 01 / 2018

Halitosis – Preventing Bad Breath

How Good Oral Health Care Can Help To Improve Your Breath

You have probably experienced the smell of someone’s breath when they have halitosis. You instinctively know that it isn’t just caused by something that they have just recently eaten, but that there is something very wrong with the way that their breath smells.

You may even find yourself involuntary recoiling as they open their mouth. Naturally, you won’t want others to do the same to you, and our Ipswich dental team are here to help you prevent this from happening.

Bad Breath

We should be clear that the bad breath that we are discussing is not that caused by, for example, eating garlic. It is true that some foods, including garlic, can affect the way that your breath smells. Other foods that can do this include coffee, onions, spicy foods, fish and also cigarettes and alcohol. In most cases though, this type of bad breath is usually temporary and will not be long lasting in the majority of cases.

Halitosis is very often caused by poor oral health, or to be more specific, gum disease. Whilst it can also be caused by decaying teeth or old food that has been trapped in your teeth for several days; in many cases, it is gum problems that cause the person to have bad breath.

What’s that smell?

You may wonder how this happens. The fact is that the smell originates from the bacteria that attack the soft tissue of the gum. As they do this, they expel gases in a very similar way that humans and animals do… and we all know how unpleasant that can be! In effect then, the bacteria are actually ‘passing wind’ in your mouth… not a pleasant thought at all.

Keep them clean!

Halitosis and other gum problems are easier to keep at bay if you look after your gums well. This is not difficult to do and simply means cleaning your teeth correctly and regularly, with the addition of flossing to your daily routine if you do not already do so.

Professional cleaning and monitoring by the hygienist at the Lighthouse Dental Practice are the best ways to make sure that your gums are kept in good health. While it is important that you do take responsibility for your own oral health at home, professional supervision and care will help to ensure that any risk of gum disease is minimised.

With the new year just starting, why not go into 2018 with the confidence that you have pleasant-smelling breath? To aid this, hygienist appointments can be made at our Ipswich dental practice by calling us on 01473 257 379.

We are here to help you
If you would like to speak to a member of our friendly team about any of the issues in this article please visit our contact page or call us on 01473 257379.