This Sunday (6th) is Fresh Breath Day, which was launched a few years ago to appreciate the importance of oral hygiene.
Bad breath (or halitosis) is believed to be suffered by 1 in 4 people and yet it is highly preventable. One of the main reasons it goes untreated is because many people don’t realise they have it in the first place. Think about the number of times you’ve spoken to a friend or colleague and been overwhelmed by their breath yet said nothing. The scarier thought is that perhaps people have done the same thing to you at some stage in your life. The easiest way to tell if you have bad breath is to lick the inside of your wrist and then let it dry for a few seconds, then take a sniff. Alternatively, you could smell your floss or tongue scraper after you use it.
So, what causes bad breath? There are many contributory factors and some of the most obvious are food, tobacco, coffee and alcohol. It goes without saying that pungent meals like curries, or anything with a lot of onions or garlic will have an effect. What may be less obvious or visible is the effects of poor oral health, which leads to bacteria in your mouth and namely between the teeth or on the gums and tongue. My colleague Rosemary spoke a few months back about some of the tools which hygienists recommend and one of those was a tongue scraper. Tongue scrapers, which are available in the practice, will remove food debris from the rough surface of the tongue and help lower bacteria and therefore the chances of bad breath.
Can it be treated in the practice? In the vast majority of cases the simple answer is yes. There are a few exceptions of underlying medical issues like diabetes, tonsillitis or sinusitis which will require medical attention with your GP. For everyone else we will monitor your oral health closely and recommend a suitable number of hygiene appointments for a deep clean of your teeth and mouth whilst also recommending which products you should be frequently using. This will help to lower the bacteria in your mouth and in turn improve your breath.
What do I do next? If you have concerns regarding bad breath then please make an appointment to see me as soon as possible where I will outline a treatment plan to help freshen your breath and restore your confidence.