How Dental Cleanings Can Prevent Bad Breath

Dental Cleanings To Address Bad Breath

What Causes Bad Breath?
Bad breath, or halitosis, can be unpleasant at best and offensive at worst. People with frequent or chronic bad breath can experience embarrassment, self-consciousness, and even anxiety in social situations. Bad breath can be caused by a variety of habits and oral health conditions including:

• Certain Foods: Some foods are notorious for causing bad breath. But every time you eat any food, debris can remain on your teeth and create a ripe breeding ground for odour-causing bacteria.
• Dry-Mouth Syndrome: Also called xerostomia, a lack of saliva can impede the natural cleansing process in your mouth and cause odours.
• Certain Medications: Some medications can also cause dry mouth or cause the body to release chemicals that are carried on your breath.
• Illness And Disease: Sinus and throat infections and diseases such as some cancers or chronic reflux are associated with bad breath.
• Tobacco Use: Cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco can make breath smell bad, and they increase the risk of gum disease, which is also associated with halitosis.
• Gum Disease And Oral Infections: Tooth decay, gum disease, mouth sores, and oral surgery wounds can all cause bad breath.

How Can Dental Cleanings Help?
Not all of the above causes of halitosis can be addressed with proper oral hygiene and dental cleanings, but good oral health practices including regular dental exams and dental cleanings can help resolve many of the causes of bad breath. Here is how dental cleanings and dental exams can fix and prevent bad breath.

1. An Examination: Your dentist or dental hygienist will carefully examine your mouth, teeth, and gums for irregularities and signs of decay. During this step, your dentist or hygienist can identify cavities, cankers or other sores, early and advanced gum disease, and even indications of precancerous or cancerous spots. They can assess your saliva and recognize conditions that may be contributing to dry-mouth syndrome.

2. Scaling And Polishing: When food remains on our teeth and breeds bacteria, plaque will form. Plaque that is not removed will turn to tartar. Tartar build-up leads to gum disease, one of the main culprits of bad breath. Tartar can only be removed by your hygienist through scaling and polishing. Scaling during a dental cleaning will clear away plaque, destroy bacterial breeding grounds, and improve your gum health to reduce your risk for halitosis. 

3. Prevention: An important part of your dental cleaning appointment is education. Your oral health team can help you understand what foods and habits are compromising your oral health and contributing to your bad breath. They can advise you on what steps you can take to maintain healthy teeth and gums and prevent bad breath between dental cleaning visits by:

• Brushing your teeth twice a day and rinsing your mouth with water after eating or drinking
• Flossing your teeth at least once each day
• Rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash once a day
• Avoiding tobacco products and dietary sugars

Fix Bad Breath With Regular Dental Cleanings At Dr. Korol Dental

Don’t let bad breath hold you back. And don’t ignore the habits or serious oral health concerns that could be causing your halitosis. Regular bi-annual dental cleanings and exams are crucial parts of maintaining good oral health and optimal overall health. Mints and gum may be a great temporary solution to mask bad breath odours but good oral hygiene and regular dental cleanings are key to resolving chronic bad breath. Book your appointment for dental cleaning and a dental exam today.

Dr. Korol and her skilled and compassionate team are committed to providing the highest quality and safest, most holistic approach to dental care, oral health, and overall well-being. We offer the newest and most effective treatments and technologies to support a lifetime of good health. Our practice is committed to a biocompatible approach to family dentistry. Book your appointment by calling (403) 245-9099 or filling out our online form.