Is Bad Breath A Sure Sign Of Gum Disease?

The answer is no! While bad breath is a possible sign of gum disease, other common causes crop up as well. For example, tonsil stones can cause bad breath. Tonsil stones are created when decaying food debris collects in the crevices of the tonsils and becomes compacted into what are referred to as "stones." You can have bad breath from tonsil stones without having any gum disease at all.

Post-nasal drip can also cause bad breath, as the discharged mucous provides a rich food for the anaerobic bacteria that cause bad breath, helping them to multiply rapidly. Again, this sort of bad breath isn't by itself a sign of gum disease.

However, the most common cause of bad breath is a lack of adequate oral hygiene. Improper brushing and flossing, or simply too little of it, can leave large amounts of plaque still stuck to and growing on your teeth and gums. If this growth is allowed to continue unchecked, the anaerobic bacteria has the opportunity to burrow down beneath the gum line, where they form unwelcome pockets of bacterial colonies, ones that are devilishly hard to reach and clean without the help of specialized tools.

Anaerobic bacteria give off a smell much like sulfur, and it is exactly that smell that's most closely associated with bad breath. Occasional bad breath may merely be a signal that it's time to brush again, but persistent or chronic bad breath can be an early warning sign of gum disease.

If you have chronic bad breath as well as tender or inflamed gums, there's a good chance that you are experiencing some level of gum disease. It's important to see your dentist as soon as possible to seek treatment, not only for social reasons, but your overall state of health.

Get Rid Of Bad Breath

If you want to get rid of bad breath, it depends to some extent on the cause of the problem. If you have any doubts, or the problem seems chronic, it would be wise to consult your dentist or physician to ensure that the bad breath is not symptomatic of other problems that should be addressed. For instance, you could have periodontal problems (gum disease), and even diabetes can cause breath odor.

Having said that, generally the causes of bad breath are well known and can be addressed by applying the following admittedly general advice. These are appropriate to the most common cases of bad breath, such as that which is caused by mouth bacteria creating a smell as it breaks down food consumed.

Firstly, if bacteria are responsible for the smell, wouldn't removing or killing the bacteria alleviate the bad breath problem? This is not a practical answer, as the bacteria are naturally occurring and required by the body to pre-process food before it passes to the stomach. However, if we discourage the extent of activity of the bacteria by various means and this will reduce the problem.

The bacteria thrive on protein rich foods, so reducing the amount of meat consumed and increasing instead fruit and vegetable intake is a benefit and lessens bad breath. You may also want to consider this action for general health reasons.

A dry mouth is possibly the most common reason for having a noticeable problem with the bacteria. The bacteria are anaerobic, which literally means without oxygen, and saliva provides oxygen, so a lack of saliva encourages growth. Saliva can be reduced if you breathe through the mouth, as for example when you sleep, and this causes “morning breath”. Other mouth drying activities include missing meals, drinking alcohol and not drinking enough water to stay hydrated.

If you are in the habit of eating foods rich in garlic, onions or other strong smelling fare, then the answer to reducing a bad breath problem should be fairly obvious. The smell is basically of a sulfurous nature, and is transferred to the blood, then to the lungs, where it is exhaled. The smell will stay until expelled from the body.

Pay close attention to your dental hygiene to help get rid of bad breath. It's worth brushing not only your teeth but also the surface of your tongue and the roof of your mouth to reduce odor. Daily flossing will remove food and debris, and should help get rid of the problem.