It’s easy to get self conscious about your breath. If it’s causing you some anxiety, sticking to your dental routine is the best way to keep that at bay.
Sometimes bad breath is only temporary. In other cases, it may be down to chronic halitosis (the medical term). Daily habits (or lack of them) can cause breath to smell. With a few changes over time, you’ll notice a difference.
Learn more from smilogy to make your breath fresher, fast!
What Are The Causes?
The most common cause for bad breath is neglecting your dental hygiene. Don’t stress, you’re not being judged - it just means it’s an easy fix.
Make sure you’re brushing your teeth twice daily. After breakfast and at night is ideal. Be sure to do it properly, meaning you’ll need to brush them for a full two minutes. Yes, it can feel a little tedious. But it’s 100% necessary, and your breath will thank you for it. Pay attention to your tongue. Bacteria builds up just as it does on your teeth.
Floss every day. If you’re not sure how to do this properly, ask smilogy the next time you come to visit.
If you don’t keep up with this routine, you may experience gum disease and tooth decay. Bacteria has a nasty habit of sticking around, leading to conditions such as gingivitis. These underlying problems will prevent you staying fresh.
It’s A Food Thing
Unless you’re a vampire, you probably love garlic. It’s easy to become paranoid after you have it though, worrying that your breath may be less-than-fresh because of it.
This happens to everyone, and it’s just a part of being human. Particles of food can lodge in your mouth until you brush or floss them away. You may notice that sometimes, any smell seems to linger. This is because of the way food is digested into your bloodstream and carried to your lungs, affecting you when you breathe.
Can’t brush? Maybe avoid garlic, onions, coffee and alcohol. They’re some of the biggest culprits!
It Could Be Illness
Sometimes people have bad breath and they’ve not eaten anything. What’s happening? You could be affected by an illness. If you have any of the following, or suspect you may, you should see a doctor. It’s always better to treat the root cause.
- Chronic respiratory diseases
- Viruses affecting the areas in and around your mouth
- Acid reflux
- Sinus infections
- Diabetes
- Liver or kidney disease
Smoking
This one may be self-explanatory but we’ll say it anyway. Tobacco products leave a residual smell and even bacteria, and unfortunately this wreaks havoc on your breath.
At smilogy, we’re human! We know that people have their vices but we’re always keen to help if you’d like to quit. Our Australian dentists can actually play a key role in helping you successfully kick the habit.
You Need Water!
Dry mouth can cause bad breath, which is bad news for anyone not making enough spit. Certain medications and smoking can be the cause of chronic dry mouth, as can mouth breathing.
Saliva helps you digest food and also prevent infection. It flushes out bacteria which tends to cause odours. One solution is to drink more water, but you should also avoid spicy foods, tobacco and caffeine if you can, because they’re dry mouth’s friends (and not yours).
Help Me Keep My Breath Fresh!
At smilogy we’re used to getting SOS calls to save people’s breath. Make sure you’re visiting us every 6-12 months - there’s no need to be embarrassed.
We’ll help you improve your oral care, identify and treat any issues and give you a good old squeaky clean.
Book Now
If you’ve decided it’s time you see a dentist, get in touch with us now.