What Your Family Dentist Can Do For Your Bad Breath
Halitosis. Known to many as bad breath, this condition can have such a great impact on your personal and professional relationships. If you have upped your dental hygiene with consistent brushing and regular flossing with not much success, then it may be time you set up an appointment with your family dentist.
It is possible to get rid of bad breath completely, and here is a look at what your family dentist can do to help.
Advice on At-Home Dental Hygiene
So, you brush and floss your teeth every day, but is that good enough? As a matter of fact, no. Like most people, you may be leaving out an important area during your brushing routine, and that is the tongue.
You are likely to experience bad breath if you neglect the build-up on your tongue even if you take care of what builds up between and around your teeth. You should ensure that you gently brush over your tongue. Your family dentist can also give you a recommendation for a tongue scraper to use for a better clean. The dentist can also recommend antibacterial mouth rinse and toothpaste options.
Professional Cleaning
A good, deep cleaning can do wonders for your halitosis. You can be sure that your family dentist will be covering every part of your mouth during the cleaning, removing any debris that may have lodged anywhere in the mouth. For the best results, ensure that you get your teeth professionally cleaned at least twice a year.
Take Care of Dry Mouth
Dry mouth is a condition characterized by reduced saliva production. Because saliva helps to wash away food bits and cleans the teeth, you are more likely to experience plaque build-up and bad breath if you have dry mouth.
Whatever the cause of your dry mouth, your family dentist can diagnose and recommend how to deal with the problem. This includes encouraging you to increase your water intake, finding substitutes for any drugs that may be causing the problem, and recommending artificial saliva products.
Treating Periodontal Disease
Along with swollen gums that may bleed during brushing, bad breath is one of the first signs of periodontal disease. Ensure that you see your family dentist right away when you notice these signs. Bad breath aside, taking care of periodontal disease before it gets to an advanced stage will keep you protected against the risk of tooth loss.
Your family dentist can do all this to help with your halitosis. If the cause of the bad breath lies somewhere other than your mouth, then your dentist will refer you to another doctor or specialist for an accurate diagnosis.
To learn more, contact a family dental clinic.