Do You Know What is Causing Your Bad Breath?

When I take my family out to the movies, we usually enjoy watching action movies. I enjoy movies that deal with investigation of cases, where the police are chasing after the bad guys. When the investigation starts the detectives gather all the evidence that could be use to identify the vandals. It would not be very efficient if they place all their focus on one type of broad evidence because it might not lead them anywhere. On the contrary, they need to take all the evidence and put it all together to solve the puzzle.

In the same way, bad breath is a case to be solved by the dentist, because it can occur from different sources such as the mouth, upper respiratory tract, the lungs and the stomach and it is the dentist job to identify what is causing it to help eliminated.

The Mouth

The mouth is the main area where bad breath occurs and can be caused by many structures within the cavity such as the teeth, gums and tongue. Tooth decay is dead decayed matter and it provides an anaerobic environment creating sulfur metabolizing germs which cause bad smells. This soft decay matter readily absorbs liquids and juices from consumed food and this food also decays. With or without decay oral hygiene maintenance is important because plaque caused by bacteria and food particles accumulate on and around the tooth but can be improved by brushing and flossing on a daily basis.

The Gums

The gums are another area of concern when bad breath is involved. Healthy gums are not prone to bacteria or bad breath since they are maintained properly. Unhealthy gums caused by bad oral hygiene cause a great portion of bacteria gather rotting the bone and gums causing periodontal disease. This bad odor is immediately recognizable and treating periodontal disease is a fairly simple procedure which can be done at the dental office. Professional cleanings performed at the dental office stop the disease from spreading and worsening. Periodontal disease can also be caused by impacted wisdom teeth because the area between the gums and crown of the tooth is open and an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria occurs causing infection of the gums.

The Tongue

The tongue is another major source of bad breath. The tongue is composed of filliform papillae and these hair-like projections are healthy when they appear pink. Papillae grow up to a specific length and then break off causing a shedding effect that happens mostly on the anterior part of the tongue due to constant movement and contact with teeth. Filliform papillae are located towards the back of the tongue and tend to grow longer and do not break off as easily. This area also gets stained by different foods and will retain the odors. A solution for this is to use a tongue scraper in the morning and at night. Tongue scraping really works and removes visible material which causes bad breath. Using a tongue scraper and scraping vigorously will remove build up and bad odors. Hydrogen peroxide solutions will also eliminate these odors after tongue scraping because the hydrogen peroxide liberates oxygen molecules in the mouth and will remove the chemical compounds responsible for bad breath.

Bad breath is not a condition to disregard but one to pay immediate attention to since its effects can be dangerous to your health. Periodontal disease has serious side effects since bacteria gets ingested and can lead to other serious problems associated with the lungs and stomach. Regular dental cleanings and examinations can help you achieve the best results. Here at 7 Day Dental we have great hygienist that are please to help you get rid of your bad breath, they will make sure to explain to you what are all of the treatments that could be done to help you through this process. For more information please visit us at www.7daydental.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/7DayDentalEuclid or www.facebook.com/7DayDentalLincoln .