Colorado Springs Dentists Answer: What Could Be Causing Your Bad Breath? PART 3

This three-part article series provides an overview of the various factors, ailments and conditions that could be causing your breath to turn sour.

Welcome to the final installment of this three-part article series on the various causes of bad breath. In Part 1, we spoke to Colorado Springs dentists who explained that bad oral hygiene, tooth decay and gum disease (gingivitis and periodontitis) were the most common causes of bad breath. In Part 2, we shifted our attention to the less obvious causative factors, which included respiratory tract infections and a condition known as “dry mouth” (linked with alcohol intake, habits such as smoking and certain medications.)

In this article, the final installment of the series, we’ll provide some final possible causes behind chronic bad breath, some of them very surprising indeed…

The Causes of Bad Breath, Continued…

6. Breath Mints

This may sound completely counter-intuitive, but sucking on a breath mint can actually achieve quite the opposite of the desired effect! “Mints contain sugar, which encourages bacteria to thrive,” explains a dentist in Pueblo CO. “While they may freshen your breath as you suck on them, after five or ten minutes, your breath can actually turn sour as oral bacteria multiply and produce more smelly wastes. This applies to anything with sugar in it, which is why we always encourage patients to brush or at least rinse their mouths out after a sugary beverage, snack or treat.”

Even better: get yourself a pack of sugar-free gum. “Getting into the habit of chewing gum when you want a breath freshener is excellent for your teeth because it stimulates the production of saliva, which helps to wash away food debris and kill bacteria,” advise Colorado Springs dentists.

7. General Health Issues

As it was explained in Part 2 of this article series, oral problems aren’t always to blame for bad breath. There are a host of general health problems and diseases that are linked with halitosis, such as diabetes, respiratory tract infection and liver disease. If your dentist in Pueblo CO has told you that your teeth and gums are healthy, and yet you still struggle with bad breath, book yourself an appointment with your GP. Explain your symptoms and get a diagnosis. The health of your mouth is closely linked to the health of your body and it can provide some very important indications of possible problems, so pay attention!

8. Tongue Health and Hygiene

Take a look at your tongue in the mirror… what color is it? It should be a healthy pink color all the way to the back of your mouth. Yet, sometimes it can have a whitish coating, which is typically a result of oral bacteria. “When you brush your teeth, you should also be brushing your tongue until it looks nice and pink,” say Colorado Springs dentists. “Your tongue’s surface, being rough, is full of excellent hiding places for oral bacteria, so your tongue could be causing your breath to go bad.”

If you don’t like brushing your tongue, there are also tongue scrapers on the market, which are effective at removing plaque, bacteria and food debris from the surface of your tongue.

A Final Note on Busting Bad Breath

Remember, good oral health and hygiene are fundamental in the fight against bad breath. Never be too shy to ask a friend or family member for a subjective opinion on the quality of your breath because it can compel you to seek treatment for problems that, if left undiagnosed, may ultimately cause to tooth decay and loss.