Have you ever had an embarrassing issue? How did you find the answer to that embarrassing issue? Did you ask a professional or did you use Google to save yourself the embarrassment? If you chose Google you’re not alone, a large part of the population uses Google to answer those embarrassing questions or to self-diagnose.
Let’s dig right into todays uncomfortable question… why do I have bad breath and how can I fix it? The medical term for bad breath is “halitosis”. How do you know if you have halitosis has someone told you that you have bad breath? Or do you assume you have bad breath? Let us assume you have diagnosed yourself, how did you do it, did you do the old movie trick putting your hand up to your nose and mouth and blow? The truth is that’s not the most inaccurate way to check for bad breath. A more accurate way is to lick the inside of your wrist and smell it. The sent of your breath on skin will be easier for your nose to pick up. I know it sounds silly but so does blowing in your hand right.
What causes bad breath? There are many things that cause bad breath but the most common is food particles that get stuck in your teeth or gums that creates bacteria or eating certain foods like onions, garlic, and some spices. After your body digests food, it enters your bloodstream and then gets carried into your lungs, which affects your breath. A few other causes are tobacco products, poor dental hygiene, dry mouth, certain medications, infections in the mouth, and other mouth, nose, and throat conditions.
How to treat bad breath. Your dentist is the most likely person to figure out where your bad breath is coming from, if he/she realizes it’s coming from a possible underlying health condition your dentist will refer you to your primary care doctor. The most common place is the back of your tongue and is very simple to treat. However, treatment will ultimately depend on the cause of the bad breath. There are some home remedies you can try until you see your dentist. Dentists have found brushing your teeth right after each meal can help with bad breath and all over better dental hygiene. You can also try flossing at least one time per day and brush your tongue. If you look at the back of your toothbrush, you’ll see a rough surface to brush your tongue, however, you can also use the bristle part of your toothbrush as well. Avoid dry mouth by keeping it moist with water or mouth wash there is a special mouth wash called Biotene, you can get it at CVS, Target, Walgreens and Walmart. And don’t’ forget to change your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months, your toothbrush carries bacteria, which can cause bad breath. Finally, make regular dental check-ups this is the most important out of all the remedies. You can reach us at (562) 863-8600 or go to www.drnoor.com and request an appointment.