Halitosis in Adults at Ardas Family Dental

Do you suffer from bad breath? If so, you shouldn’t have to put up with shame or discomfort any longer. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we want all of our patients to be proud of their smiles, and that’s not limited to the way their teeth look. A healthy mouth should also smell and feel good, so this week, we’re taking a closer look at bad breath, also known as halitosis.

Oral bacteria give off bad odors as part of their respiration process. Usually, most of these bacteria live on the surface of the tongue, hiding in the bumps called papillae. They eat food debris, and dentists recommend scraping the tongue once a day to remove them and their food source. We also recommend brushing the tongue. The best preventive measure against tongue bacteria is drinking plenty of water. Besides washing them out, this will help ensure an adequate flow of saliva, which contains anti-microbial enzymes and neutralizes the acid produced by oral bacteria.

There are occasionally other sources of food for bacteria, and other things that can contribute to bad breath. If a person has a sinus infection, nasal discharge may drip onto the back of their tongue and provide more food for bacteria. Foods such as red meat, onions and garlic, and chocolate can trigger acid reflux, allowing acid from the stomach to get as far as the mouth. People with diabetes may also experience bad breath as fat breaks down in their bodies in place of sugar. Over-the-counter mouthwash can assist with most of these problems, as can stimulating more saliva production through use of sugar-free gum and hard candy. Acid reflux can be reduced through lifestyle changes, but patients should also consider getting fluoride treatments to protect their enamel.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Preventing Bad Breath

We want all our patients at Ardas Family Dental in Parker to feel confident in their mouth’s beauty. There are lots of cosmetic options available for straighter, whiter teeth, but halitosis can mar a lovely-looking smile. Worse, it could be a sign of a disease, which is why we want our patients to understand why they should take it seriously.

Pathogenic oral bacteria emit a foul odor. This is obvious when they eat food debris lodged in between teeth and build up as tartar, but it is also true when they are hiding in the crevices of the tongue. Bacteria can consume things like nasal drip that you wouldn’t think of as food, which is why brushing and scraping the tongue is so important. Dry mouth will enable bacteria to grow more rapidly and consume debris that isn’t being washed away by saliva, so you may need to ask your doctor about switching away from medications that cause dry mouth as a side effect.

Some conditions make dry mouth or tooth decay likelier. Diabetes impedes the immune system’s function and raises saliva’s sugar content. Acid reflux can cause stomach acid to enter the oral cavity. Foods that commonly trigger acid reflux, such as onions and garlic, also contain the chemicals that enter the lungs through the bloodstream and cause bad breath from there, although that is not a serious health concern. The best way to prevent halitosis is by drinking lots of water and by using a humidifier to keep the mouth moisturized while asleep.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.