Trimac Dental Centre offers a variety of dental treatments performed by general dentists. The information below is formatted for your printer so you can have this information on hand.

Controlling Bad Breath

Halitosis - (Bad Breath/Oral Malodor) is a condition with many causes. Generally it is an unpleasant, chronic, affecting problem that causes people to have an eroding self image. In addition, many times people are unaware that they have bad breath until someone else informs them of this condition. It is important to look at the causes of bad breath as most reasons are signs of an underlying problem. The most common causes of bad breath are listed below:

1. Cavities
Cavities are decalcification holes in the tooth made by by bacteria. These bacteria multiple in the tooth and produce a bad odor when they are decaying the tooth. The odor can be quite noticeable if the cavity is not filled. Once the cavity is fixed this odor is completely corrected.

2. Poor Oral Hygiene
Poor oral hygiene can promote bad breath by leaving food particles in the mouth and by not cleaning the bacteria off the teeth and surrounding tissues. Daily flossing, toothbrushing, and tongue scraping can all help minimize the oral malodor caused by poor oral hygiene. Brushing the teeth is recommended after every meal and before bed. The before bed brushing and flossing will remove unwanted bacteria that play havoc on your dental health during the sleeping hours.

3. Periodontal Disease - gum disease
Many components of periodontal disease show up as bad breath. The cause of periodontal disease is the bacteria (germs) that produce sulphur volatile compounds (SVC's) which contribute to the bad breath. Bacteria sit on the teeth and under the gums an secrete the SVC's leading to the bad breath. The bad breath from periodontal disease usually will be controlled if the disease is controlled. Many times it is necessary to do some gum therapy that will help to control the periodontal disease.

4. Diabetes
Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can create an acetone breath. This is the result of a breakdown of ketones by the body to control blood sugar level. This ketosis will also occur in non-diabetic if they are dieting or skipping meals. Your MD can test you for diabetes using a simple blood test. Diabetics are usually prone to periodontal disease and typically don't heal as fast as non-diabetics. This type of bad breath can also occur in people that have hunger odor. The ketone breakdown could also be a sign that you are just hungry and need to eat following strenuous exercise.

5. Drug induced bad breath
There are over 300 prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications that can contribute to dry mouth and further increase the intensity of the breath problem.

6. Sjogren's Syndrome
Sjogren's is a disease that causes people to have a very dry mouth that can cause people to have bad breath.

7. Snoring and Sleep Apnea
The oral cavity can be extremely dry if the patient is snoring at night. This leads to a growth of bacteria that may cause bad breath. Snoring and particularly Sleep Apnea (stopping breathing during snoring) are medical conditions that should be discussed with both your dentist and your MD.

8. Stress
There is significant evidence that stress can contribute to bad breath. It is thought that the immune system does not fight the bacterial germs as readily and that the mouth is typically dry due to a heightened sympathetic response. When you are stressed the sympathetic system turns the secretions of saliva down as part of the fight or flight response. It is very important not to use sugar candies to make the breath better during stress since it will feed the bacteria that are causing the bad breath and make the condition worse.

9. The Food you Eat
Certain foods can lead to oral malodor. Spicy foods can temporarily cause a significant odor if the oral cavity is not cleaned after the food is eaten. This type of malodor is transitory and will resolve itself once the food has been consumed.

10. Stomach Acid
It is thought that stomach acid can contribute to bad breath. If you have an acid stomach then you should discuss this with your dentist and MD to see if treatments can be recommended to control the stomach acid.

11. Halitosis vs Morning Breath
Waking up with an unpleasant taste or odor in the morning does not necessarily mean that one has a halitosis problem. If we experience a bad taste and odor when we first wake up in the morning, we have morning breath. The salivary glands play a major role in producing morning breath. Every night the salivary glands are essentially turned down leading to a dry mouth or a mouth with minimal wetness. This amount is not enough to wash away some of the food debris that has been left on or between the teeth even after careful brushing and flossing. These conditions allow odor-producing bacteria to grow rapidly on the tongue and teeth. Morning breath is a temporary condition that can be easily eliminated with a good tooth brushing and breakfast.

Curing Bad Breath
Chronic problems are difficult to treat. The individual must understand this in order for the treatment to be successful. Sometimes, it is a case of trying several different approaches or a combination of approaches. Often, if the individual stops following the treatment that has been outlined, the problem returns. It is necessary to continue treatment over long periods of time with periodic changes depending if the breath has improved or become more odorous. If you suspect that you have a halitosis bad breath problem then please don't hesitate to ask for advice. We would be more then happy to confidentially discuss your options.