How Dental Hygiene and Diet Affect Your Breath

Introduction

Fresh breath (or bad breath) is not something that gets talked about too often, but can be a significant concern. We all know that the visual impact of the smile has effects on social interactions, but so does the breath. Many people are embarrassed by the freshness of their mouth and breath. Many people are completely unaware, and many more don’t know what to do about it. The last thing we want is to have an offensive odour from the breath. All people experience bad breath at some point in time, but bad breath can really cause anxiety in some people.

Understanding Bad Breath

The scientific term for bad breath is halitosis. The mouth is part of your body’s gastro-intestinal tract. It connects to the oesophagus which in turn connects to the stomach. There is also the nose and airways. Any of these may be the cause of halitosis. Bad breath can stem from medical issues, diet, hygiene or may be a side effect of medication.

Medical factors may include: gastric reflux, poor diabetic control, infections in the mouth, infections in the nose, throat or lungs. Infections which result in phlegm (thick mucus) or a post-nasal drip typically cause some degree of halitosis. Medications which cause dry mouth (xerostomia) may also cause bad breath.

Tobacco products (cigarettes and e-cigarettes) almost universally cause bad breath. Yes this includes flavoured or scented e-cigarettes. Tobacco users are highly prone to xerostomia to some degree which compounds all other causes of bad breath. In addition, there is a higher risk of gum disease and lung infections which are all sources of bad breath.

Impact of Dental Hygiene on Breath Freshness

Dental hygiene is always the first place to start to attain fresh breath. When the teeth are cleaned, plaque is removed. Plaque is essentially bacteria and their by-products (bacteria poop). Plaque inherently emits a foul odour and we want to remove this as much as possible. Unfortunately plaque develops all day long so one good brush is not enough. We recommend brushing your teeth thoroughly at least twice daily with a soft gentle technique and soft brush. Plaque accumulates on all surfaces of the teeth, so you need to brush all surfaces of the teeth: the front, the back, the sides, the outside and the top. Additionally, plaque accumulates between the teeth so good flossing habits is essential – daily.

Good oral hygiene also keeps the gums healthy. This means less gingivitis and gum disease. This is important for fresh breath as red, puffy and inflamed gums not only cause bad breath, but they can also result in early loss of teeth.

It’s also important not to let food accumulate between the teeth. Some people have gaps around their teeth that tends to trap food. If this is you, please be sure to clean that out using floss or interdental brushes.

Some people, such as asthmatics or those recovering from recent illness may notice a white coating on the tongue. This is plaque accumulation. This can be removed by gentle brushing on the tongue. If you don’t have a white coating on the tongue, it is normally not necessary to brush the tongue.

Using a fluoride based mouthwash once a day can also be of benefit to remove plaque from hard to reach areas.

Dietary Factors Contributing to Bad Breath

Some foods temporarily cause bad breath. For example, heavy onions and garlic can linger in your breath the next day after eating – even if you can’t smell it yourself. Some heavily aromatic foods enter your bloodstream and are carried to your lungs which therefore affect your breath. The same applies to exotic aromatic spices in your diet.

Hydration is a very important aspect of having fresh breath. When you are well hydrated your saliva is watery and call serous in consistency. In contrast, when you a dehydrated the saliva becomes thick and mucin like. Dehydrated saliva tends to cause bad breath. So make sure you drink lots of water, particularly after eating or drinking something that might have foul odours. Drinking lots of water also helps to wash away any food residues that accumulate on the teeth.

Coffee and alcohol can also affect your breath. Both coffee and alcohol are diuretics which mean they dry you out and cause dehydration. This changes the composition of your saliva from watery serous consistency to thick and mucin like. This then causes your saliva to contribute to halitosis. In addition, both coffee and alcohol have strong odours which can be cause bad breath even hours after drinking.

Maintaining Fresh Breath Throughout The Day

Tips for maintaining fresh breath throughout the day:

1. Maintain good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss once daily.
2. Use a fluoride based mouthwash
3. Drink lots of water and make sure you stay hydrated
4. Use sugar-free gum or mints to stimulate saliva flow.

Seeking Professional Dental Care

As always, it is important to see your dentist on a regular basis to ensure you have healthy gums and healthy teeth. This means keeping on top of things so that you don’t have any undiagnosed pathology in the mouth. We recommend seeing a dentist every 6 months. This will help identify and address any underlying dental issues that may contribute to bad breath.

Conclusion

At Iconic Dentistry, we work with our patients to be proactive in their dental health. We aim to detect and manage issues before they become problematic so that you can go on and enjoy all the fun things in life without having to worry about your teeth and oral health. This includes having fresh breath. It is important to adopt good dental hygiene habits, make mindful dietary choices and seek professional regular care to ensure fresh breath and overall oral health.