Bad breath is basically caused by sulfur-producing bacteria. These are bacteria which live on the tongue, in the pockets or spaces between the teeth and underneath the gum. If you get multiplication of bacteria it causes an increase in the sulphur producing bacteria or you have a mouth which is more conducive to bacteria then you will suffer from worse bad breath, that’s one reason. The second reason is how well you clean your teeth.
As you’ve got lots of gaps in your teeth, you got what we call periodontal pockets which are the gaps where the gums come away from the teeth, and you’ve got calculus which is basically dead bacteria and toxin stuck underneath the gum then you are going to have bad breath as well because what’s going to be the case is that you have an abundance of bacteria. Your gums are going to swell up and it’s just not going to be clean. By having a lot bad bacteria within your mouth and having also calculus, you’re going to get bad breath.
What is the solution?
Using different mouthwashes can help to a degree because they’ll try and mask the compounds raised by the sulfur-raising bacteria, but the problem is it’s like trying to spray air freshener into a room where you’ve also got something which is creating a bad smell. You’ve got to remove the source of the bad smell. What you need to do is you need to have frequent hygiene appointments and with some antibacterial gels to clean underneath the gum, make sure that everything is clean so the source of the bad smells and bacteria is removed.
At the same time also you do want to use antibacterial mouthwashes and special sprays at home. There are different ones that can work. There was one that was called Retardex. It’s called CD40 now and that can help and be quite effective, but the most important thing is seeing your hygienist regularly for deeper cleanings. A simple jet wash hygiene is not sufficient. You might need to have periodontal disinfections or gum protect treatment to help make sure that everything is a lot better.
Other things that you can do are using tools at home such as water picks, air flosses, electric toothbrushes, interdental brushes, all of those things work very, very well. You want to ask your dentist about what would be the right ones for you.
If you are embarrassed or uncomfortable because of your bad breath, then book an appointment with our hygienist she will be able to clean your teeth professionally and give you personalised advice.
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