Causes of Bad Breath

If you suffer from bad breath, there may be a deeper issue than lingering food particles. We love teaching patients at Dr. Dipika Shah’s Holmdel dental office about how to take better care of their oral health, and combatting halitosis is one of the ways by which patients know they’re doing something right.

Typically halitosis isn’t just caused by food debris, but by bacterial build-up. Bacteria infect the corners of teeth near the gum line where many people forget to brush and the surface of the tongue, where nasal discharge can drip to. We recommend that patients brush their tongues and use a tongue scraper on a daily basis. Patients also must be vigilant about cleaning removable oral appliances such as dentures, night guards, and mouth guards and the cases they are kept in.

Certain foods such as onions and garlic can contribute to bad breath in unexpected ways. Chemicals from them can enter the bloodstream and into the patient’s lungs or trigger an acid reflux response, which could allow stomach acid into the mouth. In addition to cutting back on these foods, patients might want to avoid anything that could contribute to dry mouth. Without saliva, it is more difficult for the mouth to maintain a pH level that resists bacteria and yeast. Drinking lots of water while cutting sugary drinks is the best way to improve saliva production.

Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit Dentist NJ and fill out a contact form.

 

Halitosis in Children

Dr. Dipika Shah loves helping kids with all their oral health needs, including relief from bad breath. Generally, children suffer from halitosis for the same reason as adults: bacteria build-up. However, they may need some specific attention in order to deal with the problem.

Bacteria build up in creviced soft tissue, such as the tongue and top of the throat. The tongue is easy to clean, but fighting bacteria in the back of the throat may require a specialty mouthwash Dr. Shah can recommend. Bacteria in this region not only feed on trapped food particles, they also feed on nasal drip. Children tend to get more sinus infections than adults, increasing their risk for halitosis, and they are likelier to have undiagnosed allergies.

Dry mouth is another major contributor to bad breath. In children, the most common medications that cause it as a side-effect are those for ADHD and anxiety, but it could also be caused by mouth breathing. This may require attention from a specialist to correct, or it may be related to sleep apnea, which Dr. Shah can provide a snore guard for.

Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit DentistNJ.com and fill out a contact form.

 

Don't Let Your Bad Breath Scare People Away

Whether we’re dealing with business associates, friends or a romantic partner, we all want our breath to be at its freshest, but most over-the-counter mouthwashes, gums and mints are actually ineffective at improving our breath. Only a dentist can make sure our breath is at its best.

Bad breath is a result of oral bacteria in your mouth, which can produce a bevy of different chemicals that create foul breath. The chemicals that can be produced include hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs, methyl mercaptan and sketole, which smell like feces, cadeverine, which smells like corpses, putrescine, which smells like decaying meat, and isovaleric acid, which smells like sweaty feet!

Bad breath bacteria are able to accumulate because of sustenance provided from a postnasal drip or from poor hygiene, unclean dentures and abscesses. The situation can be further exacerbated by dry mouth, which is caused by smoking, mouth breathing, fasting, stress and certain medications.

Products available over the counter cannot kill the germs or odor, but Dr. Dipika Shah can prescribe what is best for your bad breath. Treatment may include using a mouthwash containing chlorine dioxide, Rotadent Electric Toothbrush and Waterik. If you have bad breath, schedule an appointment at our office in Holmdel, NJ by calling 732-264-8180. For more information, visit www.DentistNJ.com.