Battling Bad Breath: Keeping your teeth healthy and your breath fresh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - No one wants to have bad breath and there are a lot of things that can cause it and a lot of things that can help.
Let's start with the preventable possible causes.
The first thing you need to know is what often causes bad breath often causes bad breath naturally in every mouth.
"This bacteria then metabolizes the sugar and carbohydrates - it's the beginning of digestion in the mouth," explained Dr. Karyn Kahn of the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Kahn said once the chemical process between your natural bacteria and the food starts, the byproducts of the bacteria can produce "a sulfur-smelling odor."
Some foods can be the culprit like tea, coffee, garlic, proteins, onions, canned fish, and things that are sugary along with acidic foods.
"It goes through the system of digestion but some of the byproducts, the compounds produced by these foods are expelled through the lungs," Dr. Kahn said.
She said your best defense is brushing twice a day and after every time you eat if you can. Also, make sure to floss twice a day.
In other words, give the bacteria less to work with.
Meanwhile, foods that can help hold down less-than-desirable smells from your mouth are apples, greens, and herbs like basil and mint.
As always, make sure to hydrate. Drinking water can literally wash away the things that could be causing the issue. You also should make sure to rinse with mouthwash.
Now, if the problem persists even if you take all these steps, the problem may be a medical source. Then, you should see a dentist because there could be issues with teeth and other diseases that could cause bad breath. A dentist can identify the source.
Just make sure you don't ignore the problem because it could get worse.
