If Bad Breath Doesn’t Go Away, It Might Be Linked to Poor Oral Health

This bad breath will peak after you eat certain meals and can be gotten rid of by brushing, flossing, and rinsing (not necessarily in that order).

However, stinky molecules that cause persistent bad breath are usually generated in your mouth by oral bacteria. These microorganisms live in your mouth. Not all of them are harmful, but some of them can be. The ones most likely to cause bad breath are what are called anaerobic bacteria. These bacteria don’t “breathe” oxygen like we do–it’s toxic to them. Instead, they use sulphur to break down their food, which means that they give off many sulphur-based compounds, and that can cause you to have persistent bad breath.

But because oxygen is toxic to these bacteria, they have to find places to hide where oxygen can’t get to them. The creation of these places and the growth of these bacteria is often a sign that your oral health is threatened.

If you don’t floss your teeth every day, oral bacteria will shelter between your teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach them. In this small space, it’s easier for them to keep the oxygen out so they can feed in peace, and give off the stinky sulphur compounds. Don’t believe us? If you don’t floss every day, smell the residue you get out when you do floss. Warning: it’s smelly!

Another place that bacteria can shelter is in the nooks and crannies of your tonsils. To some extent, this is what your tonsils are for–keeping bacteria from traveling to your lungs and gut. But if you have too many anaerobic bacteria in your mouth, they can colonize your tonsils. They combine with minerals and food residue to create tonsil stones. These aren’t really stones, and they are also very stinky.

Another place anaerobic bacteria like to live is between your teeth and gums. The good news is that if your mouth is healthy, there’s not really a lot of space there. But if you get gum disease, the bacteria can enlarge these spaces to make more room for more stinky bacteria. And that leads to more bad breath. Plus, bacteria can get a head start on colonizing your gums if you have tartar. Tartar is hardened deposits of plaque that you can’t remove by brushing and flossing. It creates a sheltered space for bacteria to huddle as they grow in numbers.

Another place that anaerobic bacteria love to live is actually inside your teeth. Bacteria don’t just give off stink when they feed, they often give off acid. And while your tooth enamel is very strong, it’s also vulnerable to acidic attack. When bacteria can damage the enamel enough to make a tiny hole (a cavity), this is a great place for them to hide.

It’s even better if they can manage to get to the inside area of the tooth, the chamber where the living part of the tooth, the pulp, is located. There they are very safe from oxygen as they kill off your tooth nerve and grow in number (often causing pain).

This might mean additional treatments like gum treatment or root canal therapy, but the result will be not only fresher breath, but better oral and overall health!

To learn what’s causing your persistent bad breath in the Hawkesbury area, please call (02) 4501 7930 today for an appointment with a dentist at Riverlands Dental in North Richmond.