River Walk Dental Orthodontics

1431 Palo Alto Rd, Suite 104, San Antonio, TX 78211

Blog

Dental hygiene tips for healthy teeth & gums

How Flossing Help You Get Rid of Bad Breath

It’s quite embarrassing to hear, “you have bad breath”. Also known as halitosis, bad breath can be embarrassing and unbearable for those around you. Not only does it affect your oral health but also ruins the environment around. However, there is an easy fix to this problem. A bad breath can easily be taken care of by regular dental visits, great oral hygiene and a healthy lifestyle.

Bad breath results by a buildup of bacteria inside your mouth. It causes inflammation and gives obnoxious smell that’s worse. To identify whether you have a bad smell or not, look at your dental floss. If the floss has blood on it and has a foul odor, you are likely to be a victim of bad breath.

What Causes Bad Breath
Studies say that 80% of bad breath comes from an oral source. Cavities and gum disease are the leading cause of bad breath. Other than this, there are many other internal medical condition that can result in bad breath and they include liver, diabetes, respiratory infection and chronic bronchitis.

Taking Care of Your Teeth and Gums
Keep your dental appointment scheduled regularly. You should definitely see your dentist every 6 months or yearly. Great oral hygiene is a key to fighting bad breath. Other than this, you should brush and floss every meal to reduce the odor-causing bacteria in your mouth. Some dentists also recommend using an electric toothbrush. An electric toothbrush is an ideal choice because they are designed with a head that rotates and oscillates while brushing to remove a lot more plaque than a standard manual brush.

Flossing is the best solution to remove food particles(major source of plaque) that get stuck in the teeth. Food particles stuck in teeth leads to a smelly situation. Flossing removes as much plaque as possible when done the right way. Less plaque means less breath.

A regular dental hygiene that includes flossing comes with ample benefits. Flossing also ensures that there is less bacterial growth that keeps your breath smelling good.

Other Methods of Stopping Bad Breath
There are other things that you can do to prevent bad breath, like:

  • Stop tobacco usage
  • Say “No” to coffee
  • Drink more water
  • Eat less garlic, onions and spicy food
  • Switch to low carb diet
  • Brush your tongue using a tongue scraper

If your breath still stinks, it could be a sign of gum disease. Don’t let your oral health deteriorate. Schedule an appointment with our dentists today to help identify the real cause.

Book Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.