Are you ready for under the mistletoe and want more of the glisten of ‘mistle’ and less of the pungent ‘toe’?
This month we wanted to share some information about fresh breath and how to prepare for those socially intimate times that we will be enjoying over this party season.
The dental term for bad breath is halitosis and can be caused by several factors including:
- Bacteria retained around teeth and gums, on the surface of the tongue and around dental appliances, which leads to the production of volatile sulphur compounds (VSC’s) and poor mouth odour.
- The bacterial coating found on the top of our tongue may contribute 60% of our mouth odour.
- Gum disease (periodontitis) is a major halitosis contributor as it causes infection of the gums. It is primarily from poor oral hygiene and retained bacteria, including the deposit of hard calcified bacteria (calculus).
- Dental cavities catch bacteria and fermenting food debris causing odour.
- Dry mouth (xerostomia) caused by some medical conditions or medicines, alcohol, smoking, stress and not drinking enough water.
- Smoking which starves the mouth of oxygen making it a major contributor to gum disease as well as drying the oral environment and causing soft tissue irritation, which can lead to oral cancer.
- Stomach issues causing gastric ulcers and reflux.
- Sinus infections or a post-nasal drip to the back of the throat.
- Throat infections and tonsil stones.
- Foods including garlic/onion, but they generally only have a short term effect.
Treatment includes:
- Having a dental checkup to assess the cause of the bad breath.
- Regular 6 monthly professional dental cleans to remove any retained bacteria.
- Treatment for active gum disease including removal of bacterial deposits hiding under the gums.
- Ensuring you have a good oral hygiene routine with twice daily tooth brushing and access between the teeth daily with dental floss or an interdental fine toothbrush (e.g. pikster). Recently more of our patients are reporting successful use of a water flosser to flush around their dental work and between their teeth.
- Effective tongue cleaning with a gentle forward scraping to reduce the retained bacteria and debris. It can be difficult to access the back of the tongue due to our natural gag reflex, but using an official tongue scraper is easier than using a toothbrush.
- Drink plenty of water (8 glasses daily) to ensure good saliva flow.
- Seek medical advice if you have chronic sinusitis or stomach issues that may be contributing to any poor mouth odour.
- Follow a healthy diet of whole foods with plenty of vegetables and fruit and reduce processed or packaged food.
- Some new research supports daily use of a probiotic to reduce some of the negative oral bacteria and improve fresh breath, however it’s too early to say if there are any longer term side effects from this recommendation.
- Many people suck a mint lozenge, chew gum or use a fresh breath spray to mask halitois. Best to look for a natural sugar subsitute ingredient like a xylitol based product. Xylitol has a positive effect on our oral environment but needs to be limited due to a laxative effect if intake is too high.
- Your Dentist may recommend a specific mouthwash for you to rinse with for 20-30 seconds. It is not recommended for young children to use any mouthwash. It is generally recommended to avoid any alcohol (ethanol) based formulas due to the drying of the mouth effect and the possible complications associated.
Many mouthwashes only mask mouth odour and do not help the root cause of halatosis. The minty fresh taste makes us feel great for a few minutes after use.There is such a variety of mouthwashes available we could write a separate blog about how each active ingredient may be helpful for your individual needs. Some are used to relieve dry mouth, others used only short term to combat active gum disease, some to prevent cavitities by increasing fluoride exposure, some have an oxygenating effect that can disrupt the sticky bacteria, some use zinc or a chloride or an antiseptic agent and many may have side effects if used incorrectly or for too long.
In summary even the best mouthwash cannot replace thorough brushing and flossing your teeth, combined with regular dental checkups.
This party season we wish you many enjoyable celebrations with your family and friends and a safe and relaxing holiday.
Please let us know if we can help you improve your fresh smile
Your Complete Dental Team.
