Using a mouthwash can be an effective way to freshen your breath and kill bacteria in your mouth. There are many mouthwashes available on the market, but not all are created equal. Here are five top-rated mouthwashes for fresh breath:
If you’re wondering, “do braces cause bad breath,” we’re here to explain. Patients who wear fixed orthodontic appliances, such as braces, are at risk of developing bad breath due to the buildup of food particles on the teeth and poor dental hygiene. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain proper oral hygiene to prevent unpleasant mouth odors. Crooked teeth can cause bad breath as well—as it is more difficult to clean between the teeth. Alternatively, removable orthodontic appliances, such as aligners, may be a better option since they are easier to clean as they can be removed from the mouth.
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There is a strong link between halitosis and gum disease. Gum disease is caused by the buildup of plaque and bacteria along the gumline, leading to inflammation and infection. This can result in bad breath.
How to Choose the Best Toothpaste for Fighting Halitosis
One the most common causes of bad breath is food buildup in your mouth. Whenever you eat, tiny particles of food can stick to your teeth and sometimes become lodged between them. This can cause bacteria to build up inside your mouth and emit an unpleasant odor. Now you know why your coworkers make that face when you greet them in the morning.
There are some things a person can do to eliminate or at least temporarily mask bad breath. Good oral hygiene, such as brushing the teeth and tongue and flossing, keeps the mouth healthy and can often get rid of bad breath, at least in the short term. Mouthwash may temporarily mask bad breath and can help with oral hygiene. Chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugar-free mints may temporarily mask bad breath odor. For more serious cases of bad breath, dentists can prescribe special toothpaste and mouthwash that can improve the symptoms of bad breath.
Other medical conditions such as tonsil stones and postnasal drip can also contribute to bad breath from the throat. Tonsil stones are small, hard deposits that form in the crevices of the tonsils. These stones can harbor bacteria and emit a foul odor. Postnasal drip occurs when excess mucus drips down the back of the throat, providing a breeding ground for bacteria.
Conclusion
Your dentist or periodontist may tell you to use an antimicrobial mouth rinse. You may also be told to brush your tongue gently each time you brush your teeth. This will help remove odor-causing bacteria.
If a medicine you’re taking is contributing to bad breath, it’s a good idea to talk to the medical provider who prescribed it. It could be that there is another medicine available that will help you out, without causing bad breath. Your medical provider can also recommend ways, like over the counter mouth rinses, to cope with the breath problem if you can’t change medications.
The team from the BBC TV series 'Trust me I’m a doctor' spoke to dentists about how to spot and avoid bad breath. Watch the video below for their tips: All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. The BBC is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. The BBC is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health.
This condition is often a key part of halitosis. When your mouth doesn’t make enough saliva, your mouth can’t clean itself. It can’t remove debris and particles left behind by food. Dry mouth may be caused by certain medicines. It may also be caused by a salivary gland problem or by always breathing through the mouth instead of the nose.
Alcohol consumption can also contribute to bad breath by drying out the mouth. Additionally, alcoholic beverages can leave a distinct odor on the breath. Reducing or quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption can help improve breath odor.
Managing respiratory-related bad breath involves treating the underlying respiratory condition. This may involve taking prescribed medications, using nasal sprays or rinses to clear out mucus, or practicing good respiratory hygiene by covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
We recommend our Premier patients in Gilbert your first course of action is to grab a Q-tip and carefully and precisely remove the tonsil stones. You can do this by taking the Q-tip and applying pressure to the area around the tonsil stone to pop them right out. If this doesn’t work then you should try to dig them out. But do this very carefully because you don’t want your tonsils to start bleeding. This can be very tedious especially if you have a bad gag reflex.
Here are characteristic bad breath odors associated with some of these illnesses:
Bad breath can happen to anyone. The American Dental Association reports that about half of adults in the US have or will have to deal with bad breath at some point in their lifetimes.