Have you ever experienced bad breath that couldn’t be addressed no matter how often you brushed your teeth or rinsed with mouthwash? It can be embarrassing and make you less than confident about smiling or speaking.
But chronic bad breath, also known as halitosis, can be your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. If you’re frustrated by bad breath, it could be time to see the dentist.
Read on for three things that commonly cause halitosis, as well as ways that the team of dental health professionals at Beaumont Family Dentistry can help. Then, give us a call at one of our three convenient Lexington, KY locations to schedule an appointment.
- Beaumont: 859-223-2120
- Hamburg: 859-687-0975
- Leestown: 859-368-8260
We’ll work with you to figure out what’s causing your persistent bad breath and find a solution to the problem.
That way, you can get back to being your most confident self.
1. Gum Disease
Gum disease is an infection of the tissue surrounding your teeth. When food particles aren’t completely cleaned from your teeth with proper brushing and flossing, that debris attracts all sorts of nasty bacteria.
When the bacteria feed on those sugars, it produces a weak acid that irritates your gums. Bacteria can also easily build up along and below your gumline, which can contribute to bad breath.
There are two types of gum disease: the more mild gingivitis and the more severe periodontitis.
Left untreated, gum disease can wreak havoc on your gums and leave you vulnerable to tooth decay. Periodontal disease has even been linked to more serious health complications, like heart attack and stroke.
Some of the signs of gum disease include:
- Red, irritated gums
- Bleeding gums
- Gumline recession
- Bad breath
- Loose teeth
At Beaumont Family Dentistry, we make it easy to treat gum disease. We can remove bacteria from along and below the gumline with a non-surgical procedure called scaling and root planing. In addition to thoroughly cleaning the gumline, we gently smooth the roots of your teeth to discourage future bacterial buildup.
For more severe cases, we might use our state-of-the-art soft tissue laser to clean out any periodontal pockets that may have formed as a result of gum recession.
We also offer ways to repair damage caused by gum recession, including a revolutionary procedure called the Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique. It involves creating tiny holes in your gum tissue and, using special tools, gently repositioning your gums so they better protect your teeth.
It’s an incredibly quick procedure that, unlike other methods for repairing gum recession damage, doesn’t require any scalpels or sutures!
2. Dry Mouth
Saliva is an important player when it comes to your oral health. That’s because it’s constantly working to get rid of lingering food particles and the bacteria that debris attracts. In fact, saliva is your mouth’s best defense against tooth decay!
Dry mouth can be caused by a number of things, including certain medications or health conditions. Dry mouth can also be accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, such as a sore throat, hoarseness, or a dry feeling in your nose.
If you’re experiencing dry mouth, there are some things you can do to alleviate the discomfort, such as increasing the amount of water you drink or talking with your doctor about any medications you’re taking that may cause dry mouth.
You can also ask your dentist to rule out other underlying issues of dry mouth. If nothing else, your dental professional might be able to recommend an artificial saliva or oral rinse that could alleviate the discomfort.
3. Tooth Decay
Bacterial buildup on your teeth and elsewhere in your mouth contribute to both the formation of cavities and bad breath. Tooth decay occurs when bacteria feast on leftover food particles in your mouth and produce a weak acid that eats away at tooth enamel. Left untreated, tooth decay can cause you pain and infection that could eventually require a tooth extraction.
It’s not uncommon for tooth decay to occur as a cavity. At Beaumont Family Dentistry, it’s easy to repair the damage and get rid of pain with a tooth-colored filling. You probably won’t even know that you’ve had restorative work done on the tooth!
For more severe cases of tooth decay where the nerves inside your tooth have sustained damage, we might recommend a root canal procedure. To ensure your comfort, we use the latest in endodontic technology and even offer sedation dentistry if you truly want to minimize stress and pain.
Say Goodbye To Halitosis!
You don’t have to live with chronic bad breath! By getting to the root of the problem, we’ll help you overcome halitosis and get on with your life.
All you need to do is call one of Beaumont Family Dentistry’s three convenient locations to schedule an appointment. You can also fill out our online form.