Gum Disease Causes Bad Breath
Bad Breath CausesBad breath is hard to discover on yourself. Everyone else's breath we can easily say is bad. But dentists are advising to their patients that it is time that they simply assume. Assume if your gums are bleeding that you mostly likely have gum disease. Assume if your mouth is sore when you brush your teeth, that you have dental problems. Now assume that because your gums are bleeding and your mouth is sore with brushing that you have bad breath.
Gum disease, according to dentists, is the usual cause of persistent bad breath. It is also something you may just get used to and not think about. There are signs to look for with gum disease. Besides the obvious bleeding, you may see that your gums look red and swollen and when you push on them they turn white for a moment. Gum disease is caused by 'plaque', the sticky film of bacteria that naturally forms on the teeth. This is why we brush our teeth, to get this plaque off every single day so our mouth will stay healthy. Bacteria tend to lodge between the teeth and where the teeth meet the gums. The waste products of the bacteria have a foul, stale smell.
This means if you don't clean your teeth, you will have bad breath. The first thing you need to do then is to go to your dentist. Make sure when you call to schedule the appointment that you tell them it is in regard to bad breath. It is important because then they can schedule a visual inspection, a cleaning and an assessment of any defects or pockets that might lend to the problem you are having.
It is important that you know how to clean your teeth properly. If you do not know how, get your dental hygienist to show you how. It is amazing what they can show you; how to hold your brush, angle the bristles to get where they need to go and how to floss your teeth to make sure that between the teeth is gotten clean. They will give your teeth a thorough cleaning and polish each tooth. Then they will instruct you how to do so at home. Listen and learn. You are paying good money and betting your bad breath on it.
One good way to get great at brushing your teeth and getting rid of the bad breath is to use disclosing tablets. These are tablets that dye the plaque on your teeth, showing you exactly the areas that you are not cleaning properly. A few tips that might help between brushings is to use a toothpick to get out large particles of food between your teeth and if you can, rinse your mouth out even if it is just with water after every meal.
As long as you are brushing your teeth, why not take care of that icky tongue? Buy a tongue cleaner and use it. It is a curved scraper and you place it on the back of your tongue as far back as you can and pull it forward like hoeing a row in your garden. Something important to remember is do not scrape so hard in your desire to be clean that you make the problem worse by giving the tongue abrasions that collect bacteria and get infected.
It is important that you get your gums back into a healthy state. If they are healthy and you have no teeth or mouth infection then a big reason most people have bad breath is gone. Communication with your dentist about your bad breath problem is vital. Don't be embarrassed just get help.
Corinne Bridgewater grew up surrounded by the medical community, her family is full of doctors, nurses, herbalists and healers. She is a licensed nurse and certified pharmacy technician. She has served in the Armed Forces as a medic. For lots more tips, articles and resources for other embarrassing problems please go to my informative website EmbarrassedNoMore