Oral health and bad breath; how they are linked
Fed up with having bad breath?
At Old Windsor, we aim to educate our patients about the links between oral health and bad breath Berkshire, and will always ensure that when you attend a check-up with us, all of your oral health concerns are explored and your teeth are kept in tip-top shape!
Here, we offer a brief guide surrounding oral health and bad breath Berkshire, to help you keep those pearly whites healthy and happy.
What causes bad breath?
In short, bad breath is caused by bacteria in the mouth that reproduce and promote odours.
Oral health and bad breath Berkshire are intrinsically linked, so if you fail to brush your teeth regularly, you are at a higher risk of developing offensive breath. Of course, there are some other causes of bad breath which may not be linked to oral hygiene, such as hydration levels, lifestyle habits such as smoking, or eating strongly scented foods. If you frequently suffer from acid reflux or gastrointestinal reflux disease (or GERD), then you are also more likely to have less-than-sweet breath more regularly.
Can I have bad breath, but good oral hygiene?
As mentioned before, you can have a strong-smelling breath due to lifestyle or consuming strongly scented foods.
If you notice that your breath is persistently bad irrespective of how often you brush, you may want to book an appointment with our team at Old Windsor, as this can point to gum disease or other issues related to oral health. It may also be worth booking a general medical check-up too!
Signs of gum disease
When it comes to gum disease, the early symptoms can be exceedingly subtle. But as you may have guessed, one of them is an offensive odour in your mouth that will not go away.
Other symptoms to look out for include red, inflamed gums, sensitive teeth, bleeding when brushing or spitting blood at the end of brushing and of course, soreness.
If you have any of these signs, you need to see our team for an assessment.
Treatment for gum disease
One of the ways we treat gum disease at Old Windsor is to perform a scale and polish. This will typically be performed by our hygienist and involves removing stubborn plaque above and below the gum line.
We recommend visiting our hygienist once every year in general, but if you have an active case of gum disease, we will advise more frequent visits. In addition, we may also prescribe you an antibacterial mouthwash and toothpaste to help keep down bacteria levels in your mouth.
Preventing gum disease
Once you have recovered from gum disease, we want to ensure that it doesn’t come back!
We may recommend investing in an electric toothbrush, using medicated toothpaste and using interdental brushes to remove plaque from between your teeth.
We will also advise you to maintain regular appointments with our dental team, alongside seeing our dental hygienist once per year as standard.
Try to reduce the intake of softer foods, which can become stuck between teeth and also reduce your consumption of sugar. We also advise cutting out smoking or excessive drinking to help with the prevention of gum disease long term.
