Bad breath, sometimes referred to as halitosis, is an unpleasant odor of the breath. Most adults experience this occasionally, and it can have a significant impact on a persons social and professional life. For the majority of people, the most frequent cause of breath odor is related to poor conditions in the mouth. There are some cases of bad breath that originate in the stomach and digestive system, but these are rare. Some oral bacteria produce sulfur compounds as waste, and it is primarily this bacterial waste that causes bad breath odor.
In the vast majority of cases bad breath is caused by the decay of food particles that are not removed from the mouth by brushing and flossing. Oral bacteria use these particles as food, and they produce waste that in many instances are compounds of sulfur. This is what produces the foul odor. In some cases, it can be caused by issues in the stomach and digestive system. If your bad breath is chronic, you may need to seek help from your dentist to properly diagnose the origin of the problem.
Sometimes, bad breath can be difficult to notice yourself. You may need to ask a friend or family member to help with your self-diagnosis. Some other symptoms you may notice during bouts with bad breath are:
The obvious negatives about bad breath other than the recurring foul taste you may have in your mouth are the effects it can have on your personal and professional life. It can cause social anxiety, and prevent you from feeling as confident as you normally might. There are other dangers associated with bad breath, as the bacteria that cause it can also cause gum disease. In a strange way, you can actually look at bad breath as a good thing as it can be a warning sign that notifies you to get your oral health in check before anything worse can happen.
The best way to prevent bad breath is by maintaining a good oral hygiene program. This will include brushing at least twice a day, flossing at least once a day to remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth, and using a mouth rinse to reach the areas your brush and floss cannot. In cases of bad breath, its also important to brush the tongue. Replace your toothbrush every 2-3 months, and see your dentist for regular cleanings every 6 months.
In most cases, the best options for treating bad breath are the same that can prevent it. Make sure youre taking better care of your mouth in general, and usually this will prevent those bacteria from producing those foul odors. Gum and mints are other options as well, but generally just mask breath instead of treating the actual cause of it. If you do go that route, be sure to use sugar free products, as ones with sugar will only feed the bacteria that you need to eliminate.
If you try to treat bad breath odor itself and not the underlying cause, it will certainly end up being more expensive in the long run. You could spend your entire lifes savings on an endless supply of mints and gum and still be no better off than when you started. Consider also the cost you may have to pay both socially and professionally for embarrassing bad breath. You may pay more on the front end for a real solution, but it will pay you back dividends in the future.
If improving your oral hygiene plan and eliminating odor causing bacteria doesnt completely correct your bad breath issue, be sure to ask your doctor about it. Though fewer, there are still numerous cases of digestive issues leading to bad breath, and these should not be overlooked.
While there are products that mask the odor, you should consider a product that over time will eliminate bad breath. For years people have relied on OraMD as their go-to toothpaste. Now OraMD is available as a breath spray.
Often confused for cold sores or fever blisters, canker sores occur on the inside of the mouth, and can cause much discomfort. Almost half of the US population will have canker sores at some point in their lives, though they form more frequently in our younger years and reduce as we age. Another common misconception about canker sores is that they are a form of herpes infection. This is because there are forms of canker sores that can include several small sores that cluster together. Usually canker sores are less than 10mm in diameter, with a white center. Though they often go away on their own within a couple of weeks, they can be quite painful while they are present. There are other forms of canker sores that can last up to 6 weeks, and can cause scars when they heal.
Canker sores are generally small, oval sores that have a white center. The area surrounding the sore is often inflamed as well, and will be quite tender. These can cause significant pain while eating or drinking. In some cases, the sores will appear close enough in proximity to each other that they can look like one much larger sore.
The most danger associated with canker sores is the pain and discomfort they cause. Depending on their location, they can even make eating nearly impossible for some people. The good news is that they are not contagious, despite popular belief.
Because there is no clear cut way to tell what causes canker sores, preventing them can be tricky. If you regularly suffer from them, start by looking at your diet. Avoid acidic and spicy foods that can irritate mouth tissues, and also avoid abrasive foods that can damage the mouth. Be careful when brushing your teeth that you dont brush too aggressively, or stab the gums or cheek with your brush.
The best remedy for any oral condition is to improve your oral hygiene plan. Be sure youre brushing at least twice a day, using an antibacterial mouth rinse twice a day, and flossing at least once to remove food particles that can feed bacteria. All natural products usually work best, because as mentioned earlier, there are ingredients in many commercial products that can worsen conditions like this.
The costs associated with canker sores usually involve medication to help treat them. You may need to take pain medication if it is severe enough, or if they are persistent your doctor may recommend an antibiotic to help treat the infection.
If the improvements to your oral hygiene plan alone arent helping rid you of canker sores, dont overlook the impact those harmful toothpaste ingredients can have. Make the switch to an all natural product that will eliminate the chance for infections.
A silly question you might think, but dry mouth can often be more than just a dry or parched sensation in the mouth. It can be a symptom of a preexisting condition, or lead to various other forms of oral infection and disease.
Dryness of the mouth is a result of a decreased or inhibited flow of saliva. Though you may not realize it, saliva plays a prominent role in your oral and overall health. Harmful forms of bacteria in the mouth (called anaerobic, literally meaning without air) thrive and multiply at a much higher rate in environments with less oxygen. Saliva, being highly concentrated in oxygen, generally helps to kill these bacteria and wash them away. Without this natural bacteria inhibitor present, bacteria can quickly grow out of control and wreak havoc on your oral health.
Having a dry mouth is just the beginning. When the mouth is persistently dry, it can lead to gum infections and more serious conditions like gingivitis and periodontal disease which has now been linked to other health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
As previously mentioned, dryness of the mouth can lead to an overgrowth of bacteria. These bacteria can cause gum disease and periodontal disease if left unchecked. While serious enough on their own, these conditions have been linked to several other health conditions. The following are all conditions and diseases that can stem from bacteria, and the diseases caused by them:
There are additional outside sources that can cause dry mouth that you probably dont realize you may already have in your home. Its something that youve likely been using for years, and wouldnt ever consider that it could cause damage of this nature. Toothpaste and mouthwash both contain ingredients that can cause dry mouth.
Toothpaste contains a foaming agent called sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS. SLS is a detergent added to toothpaste to give it the appearance that it is working by foaming up, but according to a 1983 report by the American College of Toxicity, it is highly irritating, and dangerous. The abbreviated symbol for SLS is used around the world as a clinical skin irritant as well. If that wasnt bad enough Dr. Pal Barkvoll, an oral surgeon in Oslo, Norway concluded after doing a clinical study of toothpastes with and without sodium lauryl sulfate that SLS dries tissues in your mouth that protect against irritants such as acidic foods and drinks. He determined that SLS is a strong denaturing substance, which means it can cause disruption of cell activity, and possibly cell death. This study also showed that SLS can be a leading cause of canker sores and mouth ulcers.
Most major brands of mouthwash contain alcohol as a primary active ingredient. While it is effective at eliminating bacteria in the mouth, its the lasting effect of alcohol that earned it a spot on our list. Alcohol is a drying agent, and what that means in regard to damaging the mouth is that once its done its job and eliminated bacteria it dries the mouth. While on the surface this doesnt sound like much, remember that the harmful types of bacteria that cause the majority of oral problems grow best in a dry environment. In short, alcohol kills bacteria, but provides the environment for it to grow back just as strong.
we believe that there is now sufficient evidence to accept the proposition that alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer and further feel that it is inadvisable for oral healthcare professionals to recommend the long-term use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes.
If a dry mouth is caused by a health related situation that can be changed, your dentist or doctor may consider making a change. For example, if your dry mouth is caused by a medication, your doctor may change the medication or adjust the dosage. However, if the underlying medical condition causing the dry mouth cannot be changed, treatment may focus on ways to increase saliva flow.
Not only does saliva help digest food and make it possible for you to chew and swallow, it is a natural mouth cleanser. Without saliva, tooth decay and gum disease are more likely to occur. If you have a dry mouth, to combat tooth decay and gum disease, you need to be extra careful about following good oral hygiene habits, which consist of:
If you have dry mouth, your dentist or doctor may recommend the use of artificial saliva products. The problem with this approach is that many of the over the counter products for this can contain a number of chemicals that can cause other side effects.
If your dry mouth is severe enough, there are a number of tests your doctor or dentist may recommend. Though they arent that painful for your mouth, they may cause some severe discomfort for your wallet.
Your doctor or dentist will first need to obtain specifics of the complaint of dry mouth in order to diagnose it. At this point they may physically examine the salivary glands by palpating them for the presence of tenderness, firmness, or enlargement. The first test in most cases it to measure the salivary flow rate, or the amount of saliva produced during a specific amount of time. The next option is called salivary gland scintigraphy. This is a test performed at a hospital which measures the rate at which an injected radioactive material is taken from the blood by the salivary glands and secreted in the mouth. Your doctor may also need to take a biopsy of the saliva glands for examination as well. After all this, the end result is often just prescription drugs that come with their own side effects, and do not help prevent tooth decay.
As weve discussed, the most important thing to do to correct dry mouth before it is too far gone is to implement a solid oral hygiene program. If youre already doing that and still suffering, it may very well be due to the chemical laden products youre using. Combining good oral hygiene with a natural product that will eliminate the bacteria which cause the problems may be the answer to a number of these problems.
Gum boils, also known as a parulus, are drainage points for abscesses in the roots of teeth. When the nerve of a tooth dies, it will exit the tooth near its root. In reaction to this, the body sends white blood cells to destroy the infection, and as these white blood cells die off they form an abscess. If this goes untreated, the abscess will break through the tissues of the mouth and drain. This point of drainage is known as a parulus, or gum boil.
Even though they arent actually in or above a tooth, gum boils will usually cause severe toothaches. This is because the inflammation presses on the nerves of other teeth. Other symptoms that may occur as a result are:
If a gum boil or abscess is not treated, the infection can spread to other teeth or even other parts of the body. Swelling can increase, and in some cases cut off airways and cause death. More immediate dangers include loss of teeth from bone erosion that can be caused by the infection.
Since gum boils are a symptom of another condition related to a dying tooth, the best way to prevent them is by practicing good preventative maintenance for your entire mouth. This includes improving your oral hygiene plan to ensure that youre brushing at least twice a day, using an antibacterial mouth rinse, and flossing to keep your teeth and mouth healthy.
Not only will the abscess need to be drained, but you will likely need antibiotics to fight the remaining infection. However, this only treats the surface of the situation. In many cases, since the gum boil is just the drainage point and indicator, you may need a root canal for the dying tooth as well.
First things first, have your dentist or doctor drain the abscess and start a medication regiment that will destroy the infection and keep it from damaging the rest of your mouth or other parts of the body. After that, make sure that your oral hygiene plan is one that is effective and doesnt contain any harmful ingredients that are often found in commercial toothpaste. A number of these ingredients can actually damage or weaken the tissues of the mouth and make you more susceptible to sores and infections like these.