When speaking with others, one of the concerns that many people have is their breath. We may have straight, bright, beautiful teeth, but if the breath is odorous, it will work against us. You may have encountered a person or two in your lifetime of face to face interactions whose breath made a bad first impression. Having ever been on the receiving end of the bad breath, we can easily develop the sense that we never want to be on the giving end. This desire leads many people to pop mints several times a day or to chew gum so frequently that their jaw becomes sore. There may be another way to address the breath issue.
Looking for Just Cause
Mints and gum and even mouthwash may provide temporary relief from the worry of bad breath. For longer-lasting results or the total elimination of chronic bad breath, we want to look for the cause. Often, the source is easy to find right within daily hygiene habits.
Brushing and flossing. We all know we should do this every morning and also every night before bed. But do we give it our all? If you’re struggling with the odor on your breath more often than not, the first thing you may want to do is revisit your daily habits. Brushing isn’t something to do just to get it done. Experts recommend that we spend two minutes with a brush to teeth. All of them. Every surface. After those two minutes, flossing is performed to remove odor-causing bacteria from the surfaces in between teeth. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when brushing and flossing are performed with purpose.
Another habit that may be helpful for halitosis is tongue-scraping. The few seconds it takes to scrape bacteria off the back of the tongue may lead to hours of freshness.
Looking Beyond
Bad breath may originate with inflammation or infection, and require professional dental care to clean bacteria away from hidden pockets in the gums. Restorations may also harbor bacteria. For example, dentures that do not fit well or are not cleaned sufficiently are a common cause of odor.
We are proud to provide care that looks for solutions that make a difference in our patients’ lives. To schedule a visit with our friendly team, call 414-377-5711.
