Wondering why you have chronic bad breath? A short guide from our dentist at Buttercup Dental

One of the largest social faux-pas at any time is to have bad breath.

While this is a common occurrence in Western society due to diets based around coffee, wine and fast food, in many cases it can be relieved by chewing gum, drinking water or brushing your teeth.

But what does it mean when your breath is persistently bad and no amount of brushing seems to be able to resolve it?

At Buttercup 7 Day Dental, we take preventive dental care seriously and if you have chronic bad breath or halitosis, come and see our team. Our dentist in Glasgow will ensure that whatever the cause of your problem is, it will be resolved and you can go back to laughing and talking without feeling self-conscious anymore.

But what are some of the main offenders when it comes to chronic bad breath? Read on for a short guide from our dentist in Glasgow.

Poor hygiene

We mentioned this briefly earlier, but if you don’t brush your teeth twice a day, you are more likely to have bad breath.

Why? Because the food that you have eaten during the day has stuck to your teeth and, if it isn’t removed, it starts to break down, releasing bad odours. If you do brush your teeth each day, but have issues removing food debris from parts of your mouth due to misaligned teeth, talk to our dentist in Glasgow about wearing an adult aligner or brace.

Gum disease

Gum disease is exceedingly common in the UK and if our team spots signs of it when you visit us for offensive breath, we will usually refer you for a scale and polish with our hygienist.

Gum disease is caused by poor hygiene, an excess of plaque and in some cases may be genetic, so whatever the reason for the underlying periodontal disease, our team can treat it.

Lifestyle choices

Again, we touched on this earlier, talking about coffee and wine.

But other lifestyle choices, such as smoking, can create an issue with persistent bad breath. As there is an undeniable link between smoking and oral cancers, our team will aim to help you with smoking cessation which will resolve the bad breath and improve your general and oral health too.

Infection

It is unlikely that a dental infection will go unnoticed, but in some cases it can be more insidious. For example, if you have a minor gum infection, this can present with soreness and redness which may seem trivial, but can cause bad breath.

If you have a recurring fever, have nighttime sweats, feel unwell and have persistent bad breath, it is worth popping in to see our team to check for an oral or throat infection.

Cavities

Cavities are the main culprit in persistent bad breath.

Even if you cannot see any when you brush your teeth, they can be hidden and should be checked for. And as the treatment for a cavity is a simple filling or crown, it’s pretty straightforward!