Banish Bad Breath

Bad Breath and Gum Disease

Bad breath (Halitosis) is an unpleasant condition that causes embarrassment and major frustration. Most people who suffer from bad breath aren’t even aware they have a problem, until they get too close to another person.

Bad breath is caused by several different factors, i.e. what you eat, dry mouth, smoking, or not brushing correctly (or long enough).

Bad breath may also be the sign of a medical disorder, such as a local infection in the respiratory tract, chronic sinusitis, postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, gastrointestinal disturbance, liver or kidney ailment.

Although maintaining good oral health is essential to reducing bad breath, brushing and flossing your teeth along with rinsing with mouthwash may not be enough. Most people do not have the time to follow these recommendations 2-3 times per day, as recommended by most dentists.

Even when most people follow the advice of their dentist as recommended, they still end up having chronic bad breath.

Gum Disease (Periodontal Disease)

Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is an infection of the tissues that support your teeth. Your gum tissue is not attached to the teeth as high as it may seem.

There is a very shallow v-shaped crevice called a sulcus between the tooth and gums.

Periodontal diseases attack just below the gum line in the sulcus, where they cause the attachment of the tooth and its supporting tissues to break down.

As the tissues are damaged, the sulcus develops into a pocket: generally, the more severe the disease, the greater the depth of the pocket.

Periodontal diseases are classified according to the severity of the disease. The two major stages are gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is a milder form of periodontal disease that only affects the gums.

Gingivitis may lead to more serious, destructive forms of periodontal disease called periodontitis and can also cause bad breath.

Several warning signs that can signal a problem: