Cosmetic Dentistry Directory Blog

We all know the discomfort of tolerating another person's halitosis and the embarrassment of having bad breath ourselves. Sometimes bad breath is caused by a digestive problem that needs medical attention. But most of the time, it is caused by bacterial action in the mouth.

The goal of good dental hygiene is to keep mouth bacteria at a minimum. There is no way to eliminate them entirely. But effective daily brushing and flossing, and maybe also use of a good mouthwash, can keep their numbers down and prevent them from damaging the teeth and gums.

Modern cosmetic dentists take a preventive approach to your dental care and many have technology to diagnose tooth decay very early. You can read more about that on our page Dental Technology: Catching Problems Early. When tooth decay is not detected and repaired early, the damage can so destroy a tooth that it must be extracted.

The gums can be damaged also when bacteria spread below the gumline and create pockets around the teeth where they cause the gums to recede from the teeth. The teeth then loosen and may even fall out and the gums will bleed and deteriorate. This is severe gum disease.

What causes this damage is the acidity of bacterial excretions. The bacteria themselves, little one-celled organisms, feed on tiny food particles left on the teeth. They have a simple metabolism that leaves toxins on the tooth and gum surfaces and these toxins are acidic. Anything acid eats into other substances. Both bacterial toxins and acidic foods and drinks eat into tooth enamel.

This creates infection in the mouth and unless something is done to stop it, it will keep increasing and spreading and part of its results is bad breath. The bad breath begins before gum disease becomes severe, however; it will begin in the early stage called gingivitis.

Bad breath can be treated and the infection eliminated - by use of dental lasers to clean the gums and teeth, use of superior toothbrushes and water picks, regular professional teeth cleaning, and by dental repairs such as white fillings and dental crowns and bridges.

You do not need to live with recurrent bad breath. To find an experienced dentist in your area, please contact us today.