Everyone deals with bad breath sometimes, especially after eating foods with strong smells. In most cases, brushing your teeth, flossing, or using mouthwash can quickly freshen your breath. But what if your bad breath doesn’t go away, no matter how much you brush? When bad breath sticks around, it might be a sign of a bigger dental issue that needs professional attention like a dental cleaning.
To fight bad breath effectively, it helps to know what’s causing it in the first place. If you’re struggling with persistent bad breath, your dentist in Plantation, FL, can help figure out the cause and recommend the best treatment. Below, we’ll go over some of the most common reasons people develop long-lasting bad breath and what you can do about it.
Foods That Cause Bad Breath
What you eat plays a role in how your breath smells. While most foods only cause temporary bad breath, some like garlic, onions, and certain spices can leave a lasting odor. That’s because these foods contain strong-smelling oils that get absorbed into your bloodstream.
From there, they travel to your lungs and come out in your breath. Sometimes for hours or even a full day after eating. Drinking water and chewing sugar-free gum can help, but the smell won’t completely disappear until your body processes the food. Paying attention to what you eat can help you understand why your breath might smell at certain times.
Not Taking Proper Care of Your Teeth and Gums
Brushing and flossing do more than just remove food from your teeth. They also help control plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that forms on your teeth every day. If you don’t brush and floss regularly, plaque builds up and begins to damage your teeth and gums.
Plaque also smells bad as it breaks down, making your breath worse over time. Skipping oral care, even for a day or two, can lead to noticeable bad breath. Smoking or chewing tobacco makes the problem even worse by drying out your mouth and leaving behind their own unpleasant smells. The best way to keep your breath fresh is to stick to a good brushing and flossing routine every day.
Dry Mouth and Its Effects on Breath
Have you ever woken up with a dry, sticky feeling in your mouth? That’s what happens when your mouth doesn’t produce enough saliva, a condition called dry mouth. Saliva helps wash away food particles and bacteria. So when your mouth is dry, odor-causing bacteria can grow out of control.
Dehydration is a common cause of dry mouth, but certain medications, caffeine, and alcohol can also make it worse. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day keeps your mouth moist and your breath fresher. If dry mouth is a frequent problem for you, your dentist might recommend special rinses or lozenges that help stimulate saliva production.
Gum Disease and Bad Breath
Gum disease is a serious infection of the gums that can cause swelling, bleeding, and bad breath. In the early stages, you can often reverse gum disease with better brushing and flossing. But if it gets worse, bacteria will hide in deep pockets around the teeth. This causes a strong and unpleasant odor.
At this point, you will need professional treatment from a dentist to clean out the infection and prevent further damage. The best way to avoid gum disease is to take good care of your teeth and gums every day and visit your dentist regularly for checkups.
When to See a Dentist About Bad Breath
Have you tried improving your oral hygiene, drinking more water, and watching what you eat, but your bad breath still won’t go away? It might be time to see a dentist. Chronic bad breath can sometimes be a sign of tooth decay, gum disease, or even other health issues like sinus infections or acid reflux. Dr. Dham can examine your mouth, identify the cause, and recommend the right treatment to get your breath back to normal.
If you’re in the Plantation, FL area and need help with persistent bad breath, visit us. Schedule an appointment online or call (954) 251-0640 today. A quick checkup could be all it takes to solve the problem and give you the fresh smile you deserve.