Hi, I'm Dr. Priya Matthew, and I'm here to discuss bad breath. We've had a lot of questions about it, so here we go.
What is bad breath? How is it defined clinically?
Bad breath, also known as halitosis, can be disruptive to your personal life. Basically, your breath is stinky. It can be a sign of something systemic, like in your overall body, or it can indicate something happening in your oral cavity, such as decay or gum disease, which we also call periodontal disease. It can be a lot of different things.
What are the causes of bad breath?
The causes of bad breath include gum disease, cavities, improper hygiene, and not getting regular hygiene checkups. It can also be caused by not brushing your tongue, diabetes, and other systemic diseases.
What is halitosis?
Halitosis is bad breath, but it's like chronic bad breath, not just morning breath.
Can cavities or tooth decay cause bad breath?
Cavities and tooth decay can cause bad breath. That's why you want to get them fixed. Those cavities have bacteria that cause the cavities. Once we get rid of the cavities and fill them, the bad breath should resolve.
Can wisdom teeth contribute to bad breath?
Wisdom teeth can contribute to bad breath because if they are impacted, which means they're sideways or not fully erupted, food can collect back there, and it's really difficult to keep them clean sometimes. That can definitely contribute to bad breath.
Is it normal to have bad breath after a tooth extraction?
It can be normal to have bad breath after a tooth extraction. It's sometimes part of the normal healing process, but it should resolve within a few days.
What are the signs that bad breath may be chronic rather than occasional?
If your kid keeps telling you that you have bad breath, then it's probably chronic. I don't know how else to answer that.
What dental treatments are available for bad breath?
There are dental treatments available for bad breath, such as your hygiene appointment, which could include regular cleaning or what we call a deep cleaning, which is more invasive because we're going under the gums to get rid of bacteria and plaque that cause gum disease. If you have cavities, restoring those cavities will definitely help with your bad breath. The cleaning can address the wisdom teeth issue, or maybe even removing your wisdom teeth can solve the problem of not being able to clean back there.
Is it possible to get rid of bad breath permanently?
It's possible to get rid of bad breath. It depends on the scenario and what is causing the bad breath. If you have bad breath and haven't been going to the dentist, and then you start going and improve your dental hygiene at home, then yes, you could get rid of bad breath. But if it's something systemic, such as diabetes, that's causing it, you would want to ensure that it's under control, and then hopefully that could help you with your breath issues.
What do you think about home remedies and toothpaste and mouthwashes in general?
There are so many different things you could do at home. There are different mouth rinses and toothbrushes. I definitely recommend an electric toothbrush because I think they can reach areas more efficiently than a manual toothbrush, especially in the back, because they have smaller heads. Certain mouth rinses are definitely beneficial as they kill bacteria. It really depends on your oral health. If you have more gum problems, I would probably recommend a different type of mouthwash or toothpaste as opposed to if you had more dental caries problems, then I would probably recommend something with fluoride, which would help remineralize the teeth and prevent cavities.