How To Get Rid Of Bad Breath: Avoid These Bad Habits!

Bleeding gums, bad breath - they happen when bacteria accumulates on the teeth due to poor oral hygiene habits. Scarily enough, dental health isn’t completely localised to a patient’s mouth; research has shown that there’s a real correlation between a person’s dental health and their overall physical and mental well-being! Brushing and flossing regularly are essential for maintaining good oral health.

Poor dental hygiene can lead to a variety of health problems, including bad breath and gum disease. Left untreated, bad oral health can result in persistent pain, bleeding gums and in extreme cases, decay to the point of tooth loss. The reality is that many bad oral hygiene practices can be easily corrected with a little bit of knowledge and making a few changes to one’s daily routine. The steps that need to be taken are often small lifestyle corrections that don’t require much effort or expense, so we find it very troubling when people blatantly ignore them.

Why do I have bad breath?

Bad breath, also known as halitosis, can be an embarrassing problem that affects social interactions and confidence. Understanding how to get rid of bad breath involves knowing the causes, adopting effective bad breath remedies, and avoiding certain bad habits that contribute to mouth odour.

Not flossing

Did you know that less than 30% of the population bothers to floss? While brushing your teeth and using a tongue scraper is important, it's not enough to remove plaque and bacteria from between your teeth. Neglecting oral hygiene is a primary cause of bad breath.

Flossing is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of dental health. The benefits of flossing are many-fold; flossing can remove plaque and bacteria too difficult for the bristles of your toothbrush to reach. Especially after a meal of starchy or sticky food, flossing can remove all the debris that’s been trapped in between your teeth.

But how to floss and what happens when you don’t floss? Food that gets trapped there starts to slowly decompose and rot, giving your breath an unpleasant and sometimes nasty odour. Not the best way to boost your popularity at dinner parties.

Smoking

We all already know that smoking is horrible for our teeth. It makes our breath stink of tobacco and it causes a distinctly ugly yellowish hue to develop on our enamel. But smoking has even more insidious, hidden ways that it can harm your oral health. Research has shown that smoking adversely affects one’s nervous system, making it difficult to heal lesions and other tissue damage which is common in our mouth.

Smoking or chewing tobacco can cause bad breath and a variety of oral health issues, including tooth discolouration, gum disease, and oral cancer. Especially after invasive gum surgeries (e.g. wisdom teeth removal), all dentists generally advise against smoking for at least two weeks as it can slow down healing and introduce harmful pathogens to your already vulnerable gums.

Eating too much sugary or starchy food

As cliched as it sounds, it's true – eating too many sugary foods will cause cavities! Research continues to show that exposing your teeth to sugary foods or drinks can result in enamel deterioration and cavity formation. Candies and sodas aren’t your only culprits, however – many processed foods that you might buy at your local convenience store or supermarket have hidden added sugar that can be just as harmful! Foods like garlic, onions, and certain spices can cause bad breath. Once digested, their byproducts enter the bloodstream, travel to the lungs and affect your breath.

Yes, innocuous-looking foods like crackers, chips or even pasta can linger in the mouth and break down into simple sugars. Bacteria in the mouth feed on the sugars in food and drinks. This process produces acid, which attacks the enamel of teeth and can lead to tooth decay. The presence of a decayed tooth and poor dental hygiene can both contribute to bad breath. After consuming sugary or starchy foods, it's crucial to brush your teeth and use mouth rinses promptly to remove any leftover particles that can contribute to tooth decay.

Not drinking enough water

While many people find saliva gross (I can see their point), it is important to note that saliva is 99% water! Not drinking enough water might result in a condition known as dry mouth, where there just isn’t enough saliva being produced to keep your mouth appropriately moist. Saliva helps cleanse your mouth by removing particles that cause bad odours. A condition called xerostomia, or dry mouth, can contribute to chronic bad breath. Not only does this result in a stale breath, but having a dry mouth means there is less fluid to wash bacteria and plaque away, which leads to tooth decay.

Staying hydrated is important for preventing bad breath and maintaining a healthy oral environment. There is no excuse for not drinking enough water! Carry a flask around with you at all times and make an effort to keep it topped up. Most dentists recommend that a person drink at least 2 litres of water a day and at least have a drink once every thirty minutes.

Chewing gum can help stimulate saliva production, but it's important to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Not visiting the dentist regularly

Visit the dentist every 6 months, please! There is a multitude of benefits that come from visiting a dentist regularly. At every routine examination, a hygienist will do a cleaning of the teeth which will remove plaque and tartar from your teeth and gums which will refresh your breath. Your dentist’s trained eye will also be able to tell you whether or not you’ve developed cavities, gum disease or even signs of mouth cancer.

Even patients who follow good oral health practices are still at the risk of developing certain oral health conditions. Don’t take the risk! Prevention is always better than cure, so make sure to schedule a routine checkup at least once every 6 months.

Visiting the dentist regularly, combined with consistent brushing and flossing, can help avoid dental problems, and prevent bad breath, including issues caused by gum disease or cavities.

 Related Articles

• Gum Disease Causes And Treatment In A Nutshell

• The Ultimate Gum Disease Diet: Eat Your Way to a Healthy Mouth

  
  
  
  
  

Fresh Breath Tips

• Eat a Balanced Diet
• Avoid Skipping Meals
• Limit Coffee and Dairy Products
• Practice Good Oral Hygiene Before Bed
  
  
  

Get your teeth cleaned using Airflow Cleaning

Airflow cleaning is a type of teeth cleaning procedure that thoroughly removes stains and soft deposits from teeth surfaces and in between teeth. Airflow cleaning uses a device that delivers a controlled stream of air, water, and fine powder particles to gently remove surface stains, plaque, and polish teeth. This non-invasive procedure can help reduce sulfur-producing bacteria and prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar, which are major contributors to bad breath.

Now you know how to get rid of bad breath. If you have any questions regarding airflow cleaning, feel free to reach out to us and we will get back to you! 

References:

1. Lockhart PB, Brennan MT, Thornhill M, Michalowicz BS, Noll J, Bahrani-Mougeot FK, Sasser HC. Poor oral hygiene as a risk factor for infective endocarditis-related bacteremia. J Am Dent Assoc. 2009 Oct;140(10):1238-44. doi: 10.14219/jada.archive.2009.0046. PMID: 19797553; PMCID: PMC2770162.
2. Wang B, Zheng B, Zhai C, Yu G, Liu X. Relationship between fluorine in drinking water and dental health of residents in some large cities in China. Environ Int. 2004 Oct;30(8):1067-73. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2004.05.006. PMID: 15337352.