Halitosis, or bad breath, can be an embarrassing problem for many people. This is a widespread problem, with numerous potential causes. Fortunately, it is usually preventable, and it is treatable most of the time. Keep your breath fresh in Fort Myers to make the best of personal or business acquaintances. In this article, we provide comprehensive tips on how to prevent and treat bad breath to help you maintain optimal oral health with the help of a Fort Myers dentist.
Know the Causes of Halitosis
Before we get into prevention and treatment, it helps to know what causes bad breath. The most common culprits include poor oral hygiene, dietary habits, dry mouth, smoking, and some medical conditions. Food debris left behind in the mouth can rot and create odors while the plaque that builds up between teeth can cause gum disease, which is another cause of bad breath. Certain foods like garlic, onions, coffee, and alcohol can also lead to short-term bad breath. Similarly, dry mouth (when the oral cavity produces less saliva) is also a cause of halitosis, since the latter is needed to wash away food debris and bacteria.
Preventing Bad Breath
Keep Up Oral Hygiene: Good oral hygiene is one of the best ways to prevent bad breath. This includes, above all, brushing your teeth at least twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, as well as brushing your tongue, where bacteria can become trapped. Flossing every day is equally important as it gets rid of food particles and plaque between teeth that brushing cannot reach on its own.
Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water is essential for avoiding bad breath. Saliva production, which is necessary for cleansing the mouth, can be maintained by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. As a bonus, chewing sugar-free gum is an effective saliva stimulant, helping to flush out food particles and bacteria that can lead to bad breath.
Watch Your Diet: What you eat has a big impact on oral health. To avoid bad breath, reduce the frequency of eating foods and drinking substances that cause bad breath including garlic, onions, coffee, and alcohol. Instead, chew on crunchy fruits and vegetables, such as apples and carrots, which stimulate saliva production and mechanically cleanse your teeth.
Treating Bad Breath
Improve Oral Hygiene: If you have stinky breath already, the first step is to improve your oral cleanliness routine. Brush and floss more diligently, and you might want to use a tongue scraper to scrub bacteria off your tongue. Products such as mouth rinses with therapeutic properties may also be effective at fighting bad breath.
Treat the Root Causes: Halitosis can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. If you think this may be the case, check with a healthcare provider. Sinus infections, respiratory tract infections, diabetes, and digestive disorders can lead to bad breath, and eliminating the underlying cause can help eliminate the bad breath. It’s also important to manage dry mouth.
Quit Smoking: Other than bad breath, tobacco products also cause an increased risk of gum disease, which also makes the problem worse. Quitting smoking or using other tobacco products can greatly improve your breath. There are many aids to quit including counseling and medications.
How to prevent and treat bad breath is a matter of good oral hygiene and lifestyle choices, and may even include a visit to the dentist. We know this part of southwest Florida — Fort Myers — well so our residents can follow these tips for fresher breath and better oral health. A complete solution to having breath that smells fresh involves regular checkups with the dentist, drinking enough water, and watching what you eat. If you have done all this and still have bad breath, you should visit a dental professional for further treatments.
