Everyone has some sort of morning breath. A little breakfast, a good toothbrushing and flossing, and you’re set to meet the day with fresh breath. However, some bad breath, also called halitosis,  is persistent and just plain stinky. What are the causes, and what’s to be done about it? Tulsa, OK dentist and her staff at Glisten Dental give patients several tips to control this common oral health problem.

The sources of bad breath

Bad breath comes from many sources–typically, the foods we eat. Garlic, onions and other aromatic foods are frequent culprits, particularly if we don’t brush and floss immediately afterwards. Other dietary choices such as alcohol, which dries the mouth, and coffee which clings to other organic residues in the mouth, cause halitosis that really lingers.

In addition, there are many health conditions and medications which can cause bad breath. Diabetics often have mouth odor related to dry oral mucosa, or xerostomia. People who are aggressive physical trainers or dieters get dry mouth, too, and therefore, really bad breath. Some liver and kidney issues, acid reflux, and sinus and respiratory infections are responsible for mouth odor as is lack of proper hydration.

Tips to counter halitosis

Your Tulsa, OK dentist recommends several simple lifestyle changes to control bad breath:

1. Get a medical check-up. Your doctor may uncover a health problem, such as diabetes, that is significantly changing the smell of your breath.
2. Brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a quality anti-bacterial toothpaste. There are several on the market. Floss between and around teeth to eliminate odor-causing plaque and tartar.
3. Use a tongue scraper or the back side of your toothbrush, if it has a tongue cleaner, to remove organic material from your tongue. The tongue is deeply grooved and bumpy, a great place for organic material to collect and for odor-causing bacteria to multiply.
4. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to stimulate saliva production and to cleanse teeth and gums of lingering food residues.
5. Get twice yearly check-ups and cleanings with your Tulsa, OK dentist. Preventive dentistry helps stop bad breath and other oral and systemic health issues.
6. Limit alcohol and coffee consumption. Eat fibrous veggies and fruits to clean tooth enamel and keep gums healthy. Chew sugarless gum for extra clean teeth.
7. Stop smoking or chewing tobacco. Tobacco residues smell and retain other odor-causing organic matter, too.

Do you have questions?

If you’ve tried several anti-bad breath strategies with little result, contact Glisten Dental for an appointment. Dental abscesses, decay and gum disease lead to bad breath, too. Dr. Bauman will carefully examine your mouth to get to the source of your problem and help you fix it.