|
|
|
Bad Breath, Ask the Dental Doc
Dear doc. my wife says I have dragon mouth, I brush my teeth and use a mouthwash; HELP!
Randy, I can only speak in generalities, as I have not examined you. That being said you shouldn't’t feel that you are alone with this problem, as most people have bad breath now and again. If however your problem is constant there are a number of common causes, most with easy solutions. Just a word of caution, there are serious medical conditions that can cause bad breath that should be dealt with by a physician. Those would include but not be limited to infected sinuses, postnasal drip, alcoholism, gastric reflux disease, ulcers, kidney and liver disease and many medications that have a drying effect on the mouth.
In your email you mentioned you adhere to a good dental hygiene regimen, and see your dentist regularly, so I am going to rule out infected teeth or gum disease as a cause of your halitosis.
Bad Breath And Acid RefluxIs there a connection between bad breath and acid reflux? Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition where .....
Generally speaking if you have a good dental hygiene regimen [brush and floss] common bad breath originates in one of two areas, the back of the tongue, or the consumption of certain types of foods.
Your tongue has a rough surface and harbors a type of bacteria that thrive in an environment that lacks oxygen. These anaerobic bacteria digest proteins found in the mouth and excrete as a waste product, “volatile sulfur compounds”. The sulfur compounds usually are the root cause of a person’s bad breath. To help keep these bacteria in check, you must clean your tongue effectively either by gently brushing or using a tongue scrapper. It is important that you pay special attention to the rear of the tongue as this is where most of the anaerobic activity takes place. If you are new to this cleaning regimen it may take getting used to, as touching the back of the tongue generally elicits a gag reflex.
Your use of a mouthwash may actually make you breath worse. Most of the commercially available mouthwashes contain alcohol, a drying agent. In as much as your saliva contains oxygen, and the bacteria in your mouth are killed in the presence of oxygen you want as much saliva as possible present. Any medication or mouthwash that limits saliva, limits oxygen and allows an excellent environment for growth of odor producing bacteria.
The second most common cause can be traced to the consumption of foods such as garlic and onions. The odors emanating from these foods are actually absorbed into the bloodstream, and once the odor tainted blood enters the lungs the odor is exhaled with your breath. Brushing, and mouthwash will only mask the odor temporarily. Your blood will continue to absorb the offensive odor until the digestive process is complete.
Randy I hope this helps, if your problem persists don’t hesitate to see your dentist.
Better smiles for all,
Dr. John Russo
Director, Russo Dental Care, San Bruno
Dr. John J. Russo is a graduate of the University of The Pacific School Of Dentistry. A graduate of the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum. He is the director of The Cosmetic dental Center and Russo Dental Care, and author of the weekly column "As the dental doc
Bad Breath In ChildrenWe usually associate bad breath, or halitosis, with adult breath, but bad breath in children certainly does occur. Perhaps it is less common because some of the .....
| |
|
