Halitosis
Don't Cover It, Cure It!
Over 90 million people struggle with chronic bad breath! The culprit? Typically, people have poor oral hygiene habits that leave decaying food particles, other debris, or bacteria in the mouth. These conditions produce volatile sulfur compounds just like those found in rotten eggs, resulting in foul-smelling breath. No wonder chewing gum, mints, or typical mouthwash won't cure it! Other less common causes of halitosis include systemic (general health) problems: internal infections, gum disease, diabetes, kidney failure, or liver malfunction can cause bad breath; radiation treatment for cancer may produce a dry mouth and halitosis, as well. And several simple, non-medical conditions can occasionally have a temporarily negative effect on your breath: stress, dieting, snoring, advancing age, and hormonal changes.
Hygiene, Rinses, & Relationships
Regardless of the cause, you need to realize that bad breath is treatable and take steps to correct it. First, you must practice good oral hygiene: regular professional cleanings, twice daily brushing, daily flossing, tongue cleaning. Effective tongue cleaning requires an official tongue scraper to remove bacterial build-up-such an instrument will be up to 10 times more effective than using a toothbrush to clean the tongue. If you have dentures or a removable retainer or mouth-guard, you must also practice excellent hygiene each time you remove the appliance, cleaning it thoroughly and according to proper instructions.
Finally, even the most meticulous hygiene is often insufficient for eliminating the problem. If we suspect a systemic or internal problem such as an infection or underlying condition, we can recommend a visit with your family physician or specialist to identify the cause. But more often than not, we'll simply prescribe a professional breath kit that includes a tongue scraper, plus a chlorine-stabilized toothpaste and rinse to destroy odor-causing volatile sulfur compounds for up to 5 hours. Most people notice an immediate improvement. And better breath means better relationships!
Schedule your appointment today
We invite you to experience soothing dental care at its best. Call our South Burlington, VT dental office today for your free consultation with general, cosmetic, and sedation dentist Dr. Chris Theodorou, Dr. Ian Fehring, and Dr. Jonathan Bloom. Our South Burlington office provides excellent general, sedation , restorative and cosmetic dentistry services to patients of most ages in the Greater Burlington Area, New Hampshire, New York, and Canada.
Patients who have experienced sedation dentistry with our office are never afraid of a visit to the dentist again! You'll be sedated just enough to be unaware of the treatment, and be totally relaxed in the comfortable chair. You'll wake up refreshed, with little or no memory of the procedures that were completed...
