Why Do I Have Bad Breath?

12 / 12 / 2024

Why Do I Have Bad Breath?

Bad breath affects us all at one time or another. We’ve all eaten strong foods like onion, garlic and spices and noticed the change in our breath (or perhaps someone else has!) But, if your bad breath is lingering and you can’t put it down to eating strong foods, you may be suffering from gum disease or tooth decay.

In this piece, we’ll explore:

• Why gum disease and decay cause bad breath
• Why partially erupted wisdom teeth can cause bad breath
• Why diabetes causes bad breath
• How to identify the cause of your bad breath
• How your dentist and hygienist can help you manage bad breath in the long term

Why do gum disease and decay cause bad breath?

Both gum disease and decay are conditions that rot and erode the teeth and gums. It’s not surprising then that these conditions can cause chronic bad breath (clinical name, halitosis).

Gum disease

Gum disease is caused by plaque, a byproduct that’s created in your mouth when you eat foods containing even the smallest amounts of sugar.

Plaque sticks tenaciously to your teeth; despite twice daily brushing and flossing, there will still be plaque left clinging to your teeth that needs to be removed by a hygienist every 6 months. This can cause the release of volatile sulfur compounds, and hydrogen sulfide, which are foul-smelling gases that compromise breath freshness.

Adults of all ages will sustain some amount of plaque on their teeth; unless you can guarantee that your diet is 100% sugar-free, you should be seeing the hygienist to have bad breath-causing plaque removed from your gum line.

The longer you leave it, the more pungent it will become, eventually turning to tartar (a calculus-like substance that gives off an equally unpleasant smell). Once plaque has hardened into tartar, it starts to suffocate the gums and cause worsened bleeding, inflammation and gum deterioration (it literally eats away at your gums).

Tooth decay

Whilst decay itself doesn’t cause bad breath; the bits of food that can become stuck in the cavities created by decay can start to rot. Once cavities infect the nerves of a tooth, a pus-filled abscess can form, indicating the presence of a dental infection. This can create a foul smell, along with intense sensitivity. 

Why do partially erupted wisdom teeth cause bad breath?

Wisdom tooth complications are very common, and one of the accompanying complications of your wisdom teeth attempting to erupt is pericoronitis.

This is when the gum around your wisdom tooth loosens, trapping plaque and bits of food. As the wisdom tooth has only partially erupted and food becomes stuck, the gum can become inflamed (and therefore challenging to brush and floss).

Pericoronitis can resolve itself within 3-5 days, but repeated bouts of it can result in repeated periods of bad breath.

Why does diabetes cause bad breath?

Diabetes can indirectly cause bad breath in two ways.

Dry mouth

Firstly, diabetes (and certain medications that help to manage diabetes) can cause a dry mouth. Without the flow of saliva, the mouth struggles to rid itself of lingering bits of food, increasing the risk of lingering bad breath.

Higher oral glucose levels

Diabetes raises glucose levels in the mouth, which has the potential to create more plaque and increase your risk of cavities. As we already know, both plaque and cavities can bring on bad breath.

How can your dentist help you avoid bad breath?

There are several ways in which we can help you manage bad breath. We will perform an examination of your mouth and have an informal chat with you about your medical history and lifestyle (we understand that it might feel a bit embarrassing to discuss bad breath, but please be assured that our dentists are kind and caring professionals who will never make any judgements based on what you disclose to us).

What we can do:

• Perform a scale and polish to remove plaque
• Identify any decay or cavities where food may have become stuck
• Identify any wisdom tooth complications and remove the wisdom teeth/provide a course of antibiotics.
• Identify any medical conditions or medications that could be drying out your mouth.
• Identify any dental infections present
• Refer you for medical tests if the cause of your bad breath is not clear to a dentist
• Identify if diet or lack of hydration could be contributing to bad breath (food and drink that dries out your mouth can be culprits, such as crackers, alcohol, salty and spicy foods).

Once we have ascertained the root cause, we can take steps to perform treatment to remove any decayed matter or debris that is compromising your breath’s freshness.

Bad breath management – visit Denpure for a diagnosis

Oral hygiene services are the foundation of our offering here at Denpure. Helping patients avoid the symptoms that come with gum disease and decay (including bad breath) is something that’s as important to us as replacing missing teeth with implants or the more “glamorous” treatments like teeth whitening and veneers.

Our personalised approach to oral hygiene will get to the heart of why you’re suffering with bad breath, and we can refer you to the relevant medical professional if we find the cause is not due to a dental or oral health condition.

We look forward to helping you overcome bad breath and lead a happier and healthier life.

Book your hygienist appointment here.