Having bad breath can make you feel very self conscious and may even prevent you from enjoying social interactions. If you have made eating habit changes such as avoiding onions, garlic, and coffee, as well as increased your oral health habits by thoroughly brushing your teeth and tongue twice a day, and flossing once a day, and you still see no improvement with your breath, there may be another cause. Discover why you can’t get rid of your bad breath by asking your trusted dentist at your next regular cleaning.

Make a dental appointment

If you have made efforts to improve your breath and the results are still the same, you may be frustrated and need outside help to find the true cause of your bad breath. If you do not regularly see the dentist for annual cleanings, this is an excellent first step to figuring out what is causing your bad breath. Your dentist will do a full and thorough examination of your mouth. Just because your mouth is clean does not mean there aren’t dental issues in your mouth contributing to the odor. Your dentist may discover:

• An oral infection from bacteria that could cause a smell that a quick swipe with the tooth brush couldn’t eliminate. The abundance of bacteria can lead to cavities, canker sores, and even thrush, which coats your tongue and mouth with a white plaque.
• Gum disease can also be odorous and harmful to your health. Plaque buildup on your teeth can harbor bacteria that can infect your gums, causing the gums to recede and can even lead to tooth or bone loss. A dentist is needed to remove the plaque and inspect the gum disease to see what needs to be done about it. Gum disease-causing bacteria could also be causing your bad breath and the issue needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

Even if the underlying issue of your bad breath is not a dental care need, your dentist can still help to identify it. Other odorous causing issues are:

• Dry mouth. Saliva cleans the teeth and keeps them healthy by removing food and bacteria naturally. If your body does not make enough saliva because of a medication you are on or because of a salivary gland issue, your bad breath may be a result. Your dentist can bring this to your attention and recommend further investigation down this path. Dry mouth can be linked to other serious health concerns as well.
• Diabetes can be a big contributing factor to the development of gum disease and can even affect the salivary glands, both of which can lead to bad breath. If diabetes is a possibility, have your doctor test you for this disease at your next appointment. Treating diabetes is crucial to staying healthy and it can also help you address your bad breath in the process.
• Sleep apnea can also cause chronic bad breath. As you sleep, snoring constantly allows the mouth to dry out and bacteria to thrive.

If you have chronic bad breath and can not get rid of it and positive oral hygiene habits did not eliminate your bad breath, make an appointment with your dentist. If you live in St. Augustine, FL, Dental Remedies is the friendly, caring dental office that you can trust to help you get to the bottom of your chronic bad breath. Give Dental Remedies a call today!