Trying To Brush That Breath Away?

Are you like Bucky Beaver?

Just “brush a brush a brush a” all day and all night but your breath never ever smells better? It may be an indication that something more serious is happening to your health deep in your organs. The chemical reactions vary for different conditions and a consequence of those reactions can often be smelled.

If your breath regularly smells funny, it’s time to go see a medical professional and get checked out. Depending on the situation, you might even need to get a doctor involved. Believe it or not, while bad breath could be something as simple as periodontitis, it could also be something as serious as stomach ulcers! In today’s blog we cover some of the common medical reasons that your breath might stink, aside from plaque build up on the teeth.

Tonsil Stones

Ack! Tonsil Stones are common but definitely still no fun. They often appear as squishy-looking, white blobs stuck to your tonsils. The stone is composed of a collection of dead skin, old food, and other mouth detritus. They’re often harmless except producing a foul odor, which makes sense considering the stones by nature are deposits of nasty bacteria. A doctor can usually scrape them off with a long cotton swab. A great preventative measure to take is to brush your tongue thoroughly every time that you brush.

Meds

Did you know that some of your medicines may change the smell of your breath? That’s because they dry out your mouth, alter the composition of your saliva, and release chemicals into your body.

Saliva

Your saliva is so important for keeping your mouth healthy! It’s a viscous solution that is 98 percent water and the remaining 2% consists of proteins, enzymes, mucus, electrolytes, and other antibacterial properties. Did you know that George Washington couldn’t have had wooden dentures because his saliva would have deteriorated the wood? It’s powerful stuff! Therefore, if you’re dehydrated or sick in a way that would alter your saliva, your breath smell will probably change too.

Infection

If you’ve recently undergone a dental procedure such as wisdom tooth surgery or having a tooth pulled and didn’t follow the care instructions carefully, you may have accidentally developed an infection. See a doctor or a dentist if your gums are swollen or showing signs of infection.

Thrush

Oral thrush is a common condition, you especially may have heard of it in babies. It’s type of yeast infection that is easily treated. It manifests in sour breath and white sore spots on the tongue! They can be cured through antibiotics for 10 – 14 days but you should still go to the doctor’s office.

Who knew that bad breath could be so, well … bad? Unlike that episode of SpongeBob SquarePants where he eats a bowl of ketchup covered onions for breakfast and everyone avoids him, that’s probably not the cause of your malodor. If it is, we highly suggest you try a breakfast burrito instead, we think you’ll find it much more delicious. However, we’re always happy to see people come into our dental office for their routine oral check up! As you now know, your mouth is a damp breeding ground for the world’s worst bacteria, so make sure you aren’t skipping that cleaning. Contact us to schedule an appointment now!