A Molesey dentist gives advice on the causes of bad breath

Bad breath is a subject that most people will avoid, and that’s mainly because most people have had, or have a problem with it. There are a number of reasons for it says a Molesey dentist, and the most common is a poor oral hygiene regime. Other causes are liver disease and diabetes, both of which use bad breath as a warning sign that there is a problem. Spicy food consumption is another one, especially garlic, even garlic tablets can cause an odious odour, which is best dealt with by switching to non-odorous tablets. Getting back to oral hygiene this is the single most cause of the problem, and although you may follow all the usual rules in brushing your teeth and using a mouthwash, the problem can still occur. Flossing is the best friend we have in the fight against bad breath, it will remove the food residue that bacteria works on to produce acid and that odour. Cupping the hands to test your breath will just be a fruitless exercise, and the spraying of a mint flavoured mouth odouriser will just mask it for a short while. Chewing gum is a good way of producing saliva that will neutralise the acid production in the mouth, this is most important at night as when we sleep the glands stop working. It is therefore essential that we clean all the food bits from the mouth before we go to bed. Flossing during the daytime after a snack or meal will also help you to keep a fresh breath, and drinking water throughout the day is also not just good for the body, but for the acid production on those sugary and fatty foods we eat during the day. Sweets and chocolate feed the bacteria more than any other food we eat, so when you have a sugar fix make sure that you rinse the mouth and floss if you can.