MENUBad breath has many causes, and today our Northwest Dental Associates team in Medford, Oregon, is happy to share three common causes and how you can overcome them to give you a stellar smile and fresher breath.
Teeth and Tongue
Your mouth is home to millions of bacteria that build up into a sticky film called plaque. Plaque coats your teeth and tongue and gives off unpleasant smells as the bacteria colonize. To remove oral bacteria, brush your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes and clean your tongue at least once a day (early morning is when it has the worst coating). Brush with a soft-bristled toothbrush to protect tooth enamel. To clean the tongue, just use your toothbrush from back to front, or a tongue scraper if you prefer, and rinse well.
Your Stomach
You can burp up foul smells from your intestinal tract if you have acid reflux or stomach ulcers. To quell these effects, you can take antacids or acid blockers which can be found at your local pharmacy over the counter. Probiotic supplements or yogurt can help your good gut bacteria thrive and improve your breath.
Your Tonsils
Have you ever tasted something really bad in your mouth which resembles crumbly cheese? This is a tonsil stone, which is created in the tiny pockets in your tonsils from accumulated mucus and oral bacteria. Yuck. To keep tonsil stones out of your mouth, brush, and floss every single day to keep the bacteria from building up. To flush the stones, use an oral irrigator if you have one, a cotton swab, or your toothbrush (watch your gag reflex). You can also gargle once a day with warm salt water to keep bacteria and mucus out of the tonsil pockets.
Be sure to keep oral bacteria in check by keeping your smile clean and seeing the dentist twice a year to remove hardened plaque. If you would like to schedule your next visit with our team, give us a call at 541-779-3993. Our dentist, Dr. Bryan and Dr. Davis is always happy to support your smile efforts!