What's Your Chronic Bad Breath Trying to Tell You?

If one of our professionals at Lee Dental in Frisco, Texas, tells you that you have halitosis, there’s no need for embarrassment. They’re letting you know that you may have an oral care issue that needs exploring. 

Your mouth is home to many strains of bacteria. Some of these feed off food debris in your mouth and give off strong odors. The foods you eat can create body reactions that also change the way your breath smells, and of course smoking cigarettes and cigars can alter your breath too. 

Occasional bad breath is common, and easily handled by mouthwash, brushing your teeth, or even a breath mint. When you have chronic halitosis, it could be a sign of more serious and impactful conditions. Lee Dental partners with you to find the solution. Here’s what your chronic bad breath is trying to tell you. 

Oral hygiene

Since obvious explanations are often the easiest to check, we’ll start our search for the cause of chronic halitosis with a review of oral hygiene. When you skip brushing and flossing, there’s an excess of food particles in your mouth. 

The foods you eat aren’t only fuel for your body. Those leftovers in your mouth serve the same role for bacteria, which break down the food particles for their own metabolic processes. Those bits and pieces start to rot, causing your tainted breath issues. 

Even if you’re following the American Dental Association’s (ADA) recommendation for brushing twice a day and flossing once a day, we may have suggestions about how you can beat the bacterial decay process by tweaking your home care routine. Antimicrobial mouth rinse may be a solution if you have excessive plaque buildup. 

Food and drink

If you’re a fan of onions and garlic and you eat them every day, you may already know how sulfurous oils pass from your bloodstream into your lungs, causing bad breath. You might not know that other food and drinks including orange juice, soda, cheeses, processed meats, and certain spices can do the same thing, with similar results. Making small changes to your diet may reduce or eliminate the effects of these breath-tainting culprits. 

Medical conditions

The causes of bad breath sometimes have little to do with what’s going on directly in your mouth. Diseases and medical conditions can feature halitosis as a symptom. The most common of these, gum disease, does start in your mouth, but many of these other conditions don’t, including: 

• Bronchitis, pneumonia, and other respiratory tract infections
• Chronic sinusitis and post nasal drip
• Chronic acid reflux
• Diabetes
• Seasonal allergies
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Lung, kidney, or liver problems

Other conditions causing halitosis include cavities, dry mouth, and oral yeast infections. 

Smoking and tobacco use

While there are more serious health issues related to tobacco use in any form, bad breath is also a problem for regular smokers. 

When you’ve had enough of chronic bad breath, visit us at Lee Dental in Frisco, Texas. We can help you pinpoint the origin of your halitosis as well as treat some of the causes with routine services like dental cleanings.

Book your next visit with us by phone or online. There’s no better time to freshen your breath than right now. See you soon!