1 in 4 Adults Have Bed Breath – Are You One of Them?

Are you surprised to learn that 25% of adults in the United States have chronic bad breath? Also known as halitosis, bad breath can be more than embarrassing – it can affect your personal and professional life. If you don’t make it a habit to both brush and floss every day, then particles of food will remain in your mouth. They can collect bacteria, which can in turn cause bad breath.

The tongue is one of the biggest culprits

Do you brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth? You should! In fact, the surface of the tongue is one of the biggest culprits of bad breath because it’s essentially a breeding ground for bacteria.

What you need to know before buying products to clear up bad breath

In the United States alone, about $10 billion is spent every year to try and treat bad breath. The bad news is that a lot of that is simply money wasted. Many products on the market may cover up your bad breath for a while, but they don’t actually treat the problem. If you have questions about your bad breath, or products to treat it, contact California Dental Group before trying anything new.

The many potential causes of bad breath

In many cases, the cause of bad breath is no mystery – it’s caused by poor oral hygiene. However, there are some other conditions that can result in bad breath. They include:

• Various medical disorders, like infections in the respiratory tract, diabetes, liver ailments, or chronic sinusitis can cause bad breath.
• Certain medications and foods can cause bad breath. For example, most people know that onion and garlic can lead to bad breath, but others can be culprits for specific people. Tobacco products are also a top cause of bad breath. They can also reduce your ability to taste food and can irritate your gums.
• Dry mouth can cause bad breath. Saliva is one of the necessary elements your mouth needs to remove particles that lead to odors. Dry mouth itself can be caused by medications or mouth-breathing. Sugarless candy can actually help dry mouth quite a bit.
• Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is another common cause of bad breath. It’s caused by plaque forming on your teeth. Once you have periodontal disease, the tissues of your gums can start to pull always from your teeth and then form pockets. Only a professional cleaning can get into these pockets and get rid of the cause of your bad breath.

Too often people assume that there isn’t much they do about their bad breath. They may try brushing and flossing more regularly but when that doesn’t work they think they’re out of options. At California Dental Group, we can get to the bottom of the issue and give you personalized advice about how to improve your breath for good!