Bad breath is hard to hide. While a breath mint or stick of chewing gum can mask your bad breath temporarily, chronic halitosis needs more effective treatment. If you battle stinky breath on a daily basis, go ahead and make an appointment to see your dentist. Not only can you benefit from longer-term relief, but you may have an underlying oral health issue that needs to be addressed.
Bad breath often begins with poor brushing habits, which allows harmful bacteria, food debris and plaque to accumulate on the teeth, gums and tongue. You should know that bacteria feeds and breeds on the sugars your meals leave behind. As the bacteria multiplies, it produces foul-smelling sulfur compounds – the perfect recipe for bad breath!
It may be possible to reverse your bad breath with better oral hygiene habits (or brushing your tongue more often). However, bad breath can also serve as a warning sign for gum disease. Gum disease occurs when plaque and bacteria invade the soft supportive tissues of your teeth and create an infection. If not treated in a timely manner, you may end up with gum recession, tooth movement or even tooth loss. If your bad breath brings you to the dentist for gum disease therapy you didn’t realize you had, be grateful for the warning.
At Park South Dentistry, we offer multiple ways to treat gum disease. Depending on the stage of your periodontal disease, we may offer a deep cleaning using scaling and root planing or other advanced therapies to restore optimal health to your gums. After your gums are free of infection, your breath should freshen up quickly.
Are you suffering from bad breath right now? Instead of reaching for that peppermint, make the call to Park South Dentistry to schedule an appointment. We will take thorough measures to determine the cause of your bad breath and treat any evidence of gum disease that is found.
