Do you have bad Breath, and have tried everything to resolve it?

At Harley Street Dental, our dentist Harley Street has helped many of our patients banish less-than-fresh breath and can ensure that you stop feeling self-conscious about this issue with our range of targeted treatments.

Here, our dentist Harley Street takes a brief look at some of the most common causes of bad breath and how our team can help.

Food

OK, so it goes without saying that if you eat garlic, you may need a few breath mints before meeting up with friends.

But it is often overlooked by patients how certain foods can impact how their breath smells and so, our dentist Harley Street can offer you dietary advice on how to keep your breath smelling sweeter. This may involve drinking more water, eating less spicy foods and refraining from consuming alcohol, which can cause the mouth to become dry.

Lifestyle

This brings us nicely to the area of lifestyle, and how it can impact your breath.

If you drink alcohol often or you smoke cigarettes, chew tobacco or smoke a pipe, then it is likely your breath is going to offend.

Not only that, but all of these habits also increase the risk of oral, throat and lung cancer, so the risks go far beyond smelly breath!

We can offer you guidance concerning smoking cessation and, if required, will help you gain access to services that can assist you with alcohol consumption, which needs to be overseen by a general practitioner.

Gum disease

Another cause of bad breath is periodontal disease.

This is because the bacteria that cause gum disease emit bad odours and, if you have an excess of them in your mouth, they are going to be making your breath smell!

But we can help; our hygienist can offer you a scale and polish which will remove the plaque and bacteria from above and below your gum line, while also helping to reduce the effects of the Gum Disease.

We may also prescribe you a bacteria neutralising mouthwash or toothpaste, which will help prevent the issue from recurring.

Tooth decay

Similar to gum disease, tooth decay can cause your breath to smell bad, especially if it is advanced.

Once again, bacteria is to blame for this and, should you come to our team with bad breath caused by tooth decay, we will be able to offer fillings, crowns, root canals or extractions depending on the level of the decay.

Acid reflux

A common ailment that affects around 1 in 7 people at some time, acid reflux occurs when the stomach acid reaches the mouth. It more commonly occurs at night time and can be linked to food, illness, medication and weight. It can also cause bad-smelling breath, but luckily we can spot the signs of it on your teeth in the form of acid erosion on the backs of your teeth. We can’t reverse the acid reflux, but we can protect your teeth from it by applying a fluoride sealant.