A holiday party is a time to spend with friends and sometimes co-workers, enjoying the joyful music, the decorations, and the hors-d'oeuvres, as well as mingling and networking with people in good cheerWatching a person turn away from you or wrinkle up their nose when you speak isn't your idea of holiday fun, so here's what you need to know about the causes of bad breath and what you can do to make sure that breath doesn't ruin a perfectly good evening.

What causes bad breath?

It's normal for a person with excellent dental health to wake up with a little morning breath even if they brushed their teeth before bed, because your mouth is filled with bacteria that multiply at night, but if you or others notice smelly breath a short time after brushing your teeth and throughout the day, you may have halitosis, which is chronic bad breath. Researchers estimate that as many as 50 percent of the general population have it to some degree and about 90 percent of the time it's caused by very clear and treatable sources like:

  • Gum disease.
  • Decaying food between the teeth (if you don't floss).
  • Unclean dentures.
  • Oral cancer.
  • Tooth decay.
  • Tongue coated with fungus, bacteria, etc.
  • Throat/tonsil infection.
  • Poorly done dental work that's trapping food and bacteria.

Even if you brush and floss regularly, you can still have these conditions in your mouth because in between dental visits, dental plaque builds up on/under the gum line and between teeth, harboring bacteria so that it can repopulate the mouth very quickly after you brush.

In addition to having many sources, your dentist here at Eagle River Dental may be able to identify other health issues based upon the type of smell in your mouth. You might have a:

  • Cheesy smell suggests sinus drainage or infection.
  • Fruity smell signals unmanaged diabetes.
  • Fishy smell indicates possible kidney disease.
  • Sulfur odor might be a type of tonsil infection that involves soft, smelly white stones that grow in the crevices of the tonsil and are commonly known as tonsil stones or tonsilliths.
  • Acidic odor is common in people with asthma or other respiratory ailments.
  • Ammonia smell can indicate kidney problems.
  • Sweet, musty odor may indicate liver cirrhosis.
  • Fecal smell could be a bowel obstruction.

As you can see, chronic bad breath isn't something you should ever ignore.

Why breath mints and dental strips aren't the answer

Breath mints and strips may contain antiseptics to kill bacteria, but because so much of the bacteria is being sheltered by the plaque, these will do little, if anything, to temporarily get rid of bad breath. On top of the fact that they may not be very effective, you're not treating bad breath at its source, which means it will keep getting worse until you do.

How do doctors Crookston and Kocherhans treat chronic bad breath?

They first determine the cause of your bad breath. They will generally recommend a full cleaning to remove the plaque that harbors bacteria to reduce the bacteria count in your mouth, because once that bacteria count is reduced to a normal level, brushing and flossing normally should keep most bad breath at bay. Your dentist at Eagle River Dental can then inspect your tongue, teeth, gums, tonsils (if you have them), and throat for other sources of infection or concern.

Removing this plaque additionally improves the condition of your gums, which may be experiencing the early or later stages of gingivitis. If gum disease is more advanced, you may need more advanced treatments to address your gum health. This is a very common cause of chronic bad breath. If you have cavities or need dental work adjustment, or other treatments to remedy the bad breath, your dentist can explain your options to you.

If you've got bad breath, don't wait for someone to tell you and don't let it ruin your holiday cheer. Contact the office to schedule an appointment.

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