Hello, Dr. Virginia Ellis at Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. Today, I am going to answer common questions about bad breath. If you have a question, I likely have an answer for you.
What is bad breath and how is it defined clinically?
Bad breath is basically a smelly mouth. That's it. You know it because you smell it, and that's what it is.
What are the most common causes of bad breath?
Usually, it's bad bacteria buildup from poor oral hygiene. If you're not brushing properly, not flossing, overdue for cleanings, and you build up stuff because you haven't been taking care of your teeth or maintaining them properly, that could be one reason. Another reason could be medical. Sometimes you can have kidney or liver disease. That could be one thing. It could also be the food you're eating. I will talk about that in a minute.
What is halitosis and how is it different from bad breath?
Halitosis is permanent bad breath. If you're eating garlic and you have bad breath from the garlic, that's temporary; that's bad breath. But if you constantly have it over a period of weeks or months, that's halitosis. That is bad breath, permanent halitosis.
Can cavities or tooth decay cause bad breath?
Yes. It's because of the bacteria. Often, the bacteria in your mouth cause bad breath. If you have cavities or infections from cavities, that's going to give you bad breath and should be taken care of. You know where to do that? At my office or at your local dental office.
Can wisdom teeth contribute to bad breath?
Yes, because when they're partially stuck or impacted (impacted means stuck), either partially out of the bone socket or inside, sometimes the gums go over the wisdom teeth and trap bacteria. They're hard to clean. Even if wisdom teeth come out, sometimes they're hard to clean. They get stinky and can be a cause for bad breath.
Is it normal to have bad breath after a tooth extraction?
Yes, it can be because, often when your tissue, the soft parts of your mouth, and the bone are healing, it can cause bad breath. You can have bacteria in there, especially if you're getting dry sockets. I hope you never have dry sockets, but they can be painful and smelly.
What are some signs that bad breath might be chronic rather than occasional?
When your bad breath remains for a prolonged period of time, like I just said before, bad breath is temporary. Halitosis is permanent. The signs could be that you have had bad breath for a long time. Not flossing could be a sign that you're not flossing, brushing, or maintaining your mouth like you should. That's going to give you bad breath.
What dental treatments are available for bad breath?
Usually, if you have a cavity or an infection, let's take care of it. If you have impacted wisdom teeth, let's take care of that. Most of the time, though, it's largely due to not having good dental hygiene. If you're not flossing properly, that will give you bad breath. If you have gum disease, you can smell it. Bad breath due to gum disease is called perio breath in dentistry. It's a distinct bad breath smell caused by bacteria that cause gum disease. Easy to take care of. I've had many people have their bad breath resolved because we did the periodontal cleanings, the deep cleanings, or the regular cleanings, and taught them how to properly clean and floss the gums. You can floss and clean, brush your gums, but if you don't do it with proper technique, you're not going to properly remove the bacteria that collects on a daily basis. If you don't do that, you're going to keep smelling. It's important. That's why your dental cleanings with the proper coaching and instructions that we give you—you're the athlete, we're the coaches. We teach you and give you the right techniques so you can take them home with you and make the best of it to keep yourself healthy.
What kind of mouthwash or toothpaste do you recommend for treating bad breath?
My favorite is this brand called TheraBreath. It was developed by a dentist who went to UCLA, where I went for undergrad, and he also studied bacteria. He was trying to treat his daughter's bad breath and discovered his system for treating it. If you've tried everything, he has the mouthwash and the toothpaste. The only thing is that it works, but you have to use these together. You cannot mix, say, the mouthwash with Colgate toothpaste. It doesn't work. You have to mix his rinse and his toothpaste together, and it works. If you've tried everything and it's due to the bacteria in your mouth, TheraBreath by Dr. Katz works really great. You can get it at Target, Amazon, and CVS. It's harder to get at grocery stores. Even at Target, sometimes I'll find the rinse, but I won't find the toothpaste. Sometimes at a CVS, I'll find the toothpaste, but I won't find the rinse. It's just hard to get it. Sometimes one store will have the toothpaste and another store will have the mouthwash. If you're tight for time, just order it on the internet. Get both of them together and make sure you use those. It really works. But remember, it has to be used together. No mixing of brands. You have to use the system together. It really does work.
What are some remedies that might help reduce bad breath?
Obviously, that system, the TheraBreath I just talked about, brushing and flossing your teeth well, rinsing with salt water can help, hydrating your mouth can help, but really coming in to make sure that you are current with your cleanings. What we do here at the office is clean out what you can't clean at home, what builds up at home, and requires the special instruments and techniques that we use to clean your teeth.
How can someone tell if they have bad breath?
The easiest way is to ask a child. If you're a grandparent, ask a young grandchild, "Does my breath smell?" They will not lie to you. They will tell you. Ask someone you can confide in. But what I wouldn't do, I know this elderly couple is very dear to my life. I asked the husband, "Does your wife's breath smell?" No, it stunk. It really smelled. These are close members in my circle, and I realized that if you live closely with someone next to you all the time, you'll get used to their smell. You may not notice it, especially if you're an elderly person. The best thing to do is ask someone who doesn't live with you, someone who will give you the honest truth. Someone who doesn't have nose issues and sometimes who doesn't smoke, because smoking can affect your sense of smell and taste. Ask a child. Someone who's honest. A little kid will tell you, "Does my breath smell?" "Ew, oh no." They'll tell you. A child will tell you.
Is it possible to get rid of bad breath permanently?
Of course, it is. Just come in. If you have a problem with halitosis, permanent bad breath, come in. We'll work through it. We'll give you the tools and techniques, the recommended home care rinses and toothpaste, and things to clean your mouth with, and that should help. If you happen to have something medical, perhaps we can address it. Sometimes, if you have kidney or liver disease, or cancer, that can give you really bad breath. Let's have you come in or call your dentist and get started to see what's causing the bad breath, because it can be a social showstopper. You don't want to be the person who sits in the car and stinks up the car because your breath smells so bad, and people are trying to stay away from you. Or if you notice that you're talking and people are kind of going like this, you will pick up on that. It's not that they're trying to be rude. It's just something that separates you, and it's something you can take care of. Why not come visit us at www.orindadentist.com or call (925) 272-2698 or contact your local dentist if you're not here in Northern California. I'm in the San Francisco Bay area.
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