Bad Breath – Why Some Have it and Some Don’t

The importance of fresh breath.

In busy cities like Birmingham where commuting and the close confines of office life feature, people tend to allow each other less personal space and therefore bad breath will certainly be noticed quite easily.

It may well be that we can’t detect our own bad breath, but the fact is that others can and this can have a significant effect on areas of our lives, whether that be relationships or even job prospects. After all, would you ideally choose a candidate with bad breath if you had to have meetings with them?

Causes of Bad Breath

Some cases of bad breath are purely temporary and can be put down to dietary habits. The most obvious of these is garlic. This can leave a bitter smell which some people find highly offensive, although some claim to barely notice it.

Other offenders that we can avoid to prevent bad breath are drinking coffee and, most obviously, smoking. Providing that we avoid, or at least limit, our intake of these though, fresh breath should not be a problem, providing that we otherwise take good care of our oral health.

Dental Health and Halitosis

Now we come to the key factor in the cause of halitosis (bad breath). Whilst some causes are temporary, those caused by dental problems are longer lasting and, in general, much more unpleasant.

Having food particles trapped between the teeth is a sure cause of bad breath as the food will rot and cause a highly unpleasant smell. If left, it can also lead to gingivitis, or early stage gum disease. The smell is increased as the bacteria that feed on the diseased gum also expel gases in the same way that humans and animals do; not a pleasant thought!

The most obvious way to prevent bad breath is by ensuring that you pay regular visits to our Birmingham dental practice so that we can check for, and treat, any early signs of gum disease. In many cases where gum disease is detected early on, this will be easily corrected by better brushing and flossing, although we may also advise the removal of any hardened plaque that needs to be removed professionally.

Home Help

As well as professional dental care though, there are a number of things that you can do at home that will go a long way in the prevention of halitosis.

• Clean your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste and brush for at least 2 minutes (time yourself)
• Floss – Make the effort to learn how to floss correctly. Ask one of our Birmingham dentists for advice if you find this difficult
• Drink plenty of water. Allowing yourself to become dehydrated will cause a dry mouth; the perfect breeding ground for the bacteria that cause gum disease

Even just following these 3 simple tips, along with regular visits to Arthur House Dental Care in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, you should be free of halitosis and be able to hold conversations without embarrassment.