Halitosis Treatments​

What Causes Bad Breath?

There are many possible causes for bad breath, some of which are easier to address than others. That’s why it’s so important to determine the cause. A breath mint may help for a few minutes, but unless we address the real issue, we won’t be able to cure the halitosis. Some possible causes of bad breath:

• Eating certain foods that absorb into your blood (garlic and onions are two prominent examples). These foods can affect your breath until they leave your body.
• Failing to brush and floss regularly leads to food collecting in the mouth and breeding bacteria.
• Forgetting to care for your tongue when you brush.
• Gum disease. Because this is a possible cause of halitosis and can be very serious, it’s important to investigate the cause of your bad breath sooner than later.
• Dry mouth, which lessens your ability for saliva to clear out food and debris.
• Tobacco products.
• A health condition that could range from respiratory infections to diabetes or organ disorders.

Treating Halitosis

The specific treatment for bad breath will depend on the cause of the halitosis. If we treat the cause, we get rid of the symptom, which is the bad breath.

If the cause is poor oral health care or extensive plaque and tartar, we’ll treat it in our office with a thorough cleaning as well as consulting with you on steps you can take at home to maintain good oral health between visits.

For halitosis caused by gum disease, we’ll treat that as well or possibly refer you to a periodontist. A periodontal cleaning [links to: periodontal treatment page] will help reduce the inflammation in the gumline and may also solve the bad breath problem.