Posts Tagged ‘bad breath’

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Cure embarrassing bad breath at Leeds dentist

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Bad breath is a very unpleasant condition for both the sufferer and those around them. Worst of all, there is often no way of telling if you are suffering from unless someone tells you and this can be very embarrassing.

There are a number of causes of embarrassing bad breath. It may be being caused by digestion problems, which will probably require wider medical attention or a radical change in your diet. It may also be being caused by gum disease. Many dentists can tell if a patient is suffering from gum disease before they have even conducted a proper examination because of the distinctive smell. This kind of bad breath can usually be treated and cured along with the gum disease.

However, in 90% of cases, bad breath is caused by nothing more than poor oral hygiene and is easily remedied. Inadequate and ineffectual brushing and flossing allows bacteria to build up on the teeth and gums. Food particles can also get trapped in between teeth and in pockets between the teeth and gums. Bacteria acts upon this food breaking it down and releasing nasty smelling sulphurous odours which are then carried out of the mouth on the breath.

Using mouthwash and other products may only make the bad breath worse. The only sure fire way of treating embarrassing bad breath properly is to improve your dental hygiene and visiting a Leeds dentist for more information. They can offer advice on how to improve your dental hygiene and also make sure that the problem is not being caused by any of the more serious measures.

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Leeds dentist stresses the importance of flossing

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

There are a number of very important reasons why you should floss every day. Flossing is often seen as not as important as brushing but this is not necessarily true. Brushing your teeth cleans the flat surfaces of the front and back of the teeth but it can’t reach certain parts of the teeth that are harder to get to. This includes the area between the teeth, which is too narrow for the bristles of a brush, and the areas around the base of the teeth and below the gum line.

It is important to clean these parts of the teeth, as this is where bacteria and plaque are most likely to gather. Bacteria and plaque can then begin to attack the tooth enamel breaking it down and causing decay. Food particles can also get stuck in between teeth, which become breeding grounds for bacteria, one of the main causes of unpleasant bad breath.

Flossing helps to remove these food particles and plaque that cause decay and gum disease. Leeds dentists recommend that you floss at least once a day, making sure to clean the areas around the base of the teeth. There are various types of floss available for different teeth so ask your dentist which is the most suitable for you.

If you haven’t flossed in a while, there may initially be some blood on the floss or when you rinse out your mouth. This is a sign that your gums are inflamed and in desperate need of a good floss. This will eventually clear up with regular flossing. It is never too late to start flossing and giving your teeth the protection they need.

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Get rid of bad breath caused by gum disease at Leeds dentist

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Bad breath is an unpleasant and embarrassing dental condition and social problem. The worst thing about it is that it is very difficult to tell if you have bad breath without being told about it. There are a number of causes of bad breath including oral bacteria living on food trapped in between the teeth, digestion problems and also from gum disease.

The smell coming from a person’s mouth who has active gum disease, or periodontitis as it is otherwise known, is so distinctive a Leeds dentist can correctly anticipate the problem before they have even started to examine the patient. Gum disease is typically more of a problem the older we get, with patients over the age of 35 being particularly at risk. This means that bad breath caused by gum disease is also a risk factor the older we get.

Gum disease is a bacterial infection that takes hold in the gum tissue that surrounds the teeth. It forms in the pockets that exist between the teeth and the gums and can cause irritation, bleeding and even tooth loss if not treated early enough. It is the bacteria that cause the infection that are responsible for the bad odour that causes bad breath.

Gum disease that causes bad breath can be treated with help from the dentist and with improved cleaning and oral hygiene. Better brushing and particularly flossing can help to remove bacteria, even from the small pockets that exist at the base of the tooth and gum.

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Leeds dentists warn mouthwashes not effective against bad breath

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Many people’s answer to dealing with bad breath is to reach for the nearest bottle of mouthwash and have a gargle but is this the best solution to treating halitosis? It would seem that the answer is no. Indeed in the United States, after rigorous testing in the 1970s by the Food and Drug administration, mouthwash products are no longer allowed by law to claim that their products stop bad breath.

During the testing it was found that mouthwashes were no more effective at stopping bad breath than drinking plain water. Although the mouthwash did mask the odour for up to two hours at its longest point it never addressed the source of the smell and it soon returned. Mouthwashes also have the effect of destabilising the bacteria in the mouth. Millions of bacteria exist in the mouth in a balance with saliva, the body’s natural regulator of oral bacteria. Mouthwashes disturb this balance limiting saliva production and stimulating the growth of more bacteria, often accentuating the problem.

While some mouthwashes may have some beneficial effects for some patients with certain conditions they certainly do not combat bad breath in all people and it is always worth asking a Leeds dentist before using any product. The best way to cure bad breath is to improve your standards of oral hygiene by better brushing and flossing. Most cases of bad breath are caused by decaying food debris or bacteria in the mouth but this can almost always be removed by correct brushing and flossing techniques. Drinking water with meals can also help to remove plaque and the presence of food and bacteria.

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City of Leeds dentist recommends daily flossing for healthy teeth

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Second only to brushing, flossing is the most important way of keeping your teeth clean and healthy and helping to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Dentists recommend that patients floss at least once a day to help remove plaque, the main cause of decay and infection, and to remove trapped food particles which are responsible for over 90 per cent of cases of bad breath.

Flossing is important because it reaches parts of the teeth and gums that cannot be cleaned by the bristles of a toothbrush. Brushing removes plaque from the front and back surfaces of the teeth and from the gums, but in the narrow areas between the teeth and parts of the tooth just below the gum line, flossing is required to keep these areas clean. It is often the most difficult areas to clean that are the location of tooth decay, as bacteria and plaque can build up there unchecked.

Proper flossing technique involves using about 40 cm of floss wound tight around one finger from each hand and made taught using the thumbs. Placing the floss between the teeth you then use a forward and backward motion moving the floss up and down the gap, cleaning the surface of the teeth and removing any matter trapped there. Slight rotation of the floss at the bottom of the tooth will help to clean the small pockets located under the gums where tooth enamel is still at risk. City of Leeds dentists can demonstrate the most effective way to floss at your next check up appointment to help you keep your teeth as healthy as possible.

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Leeds dentist explains importance of oral hygiene

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Our dental hygiene is one aspect of our overall health that we can have direct control when it comes to preventing disease. Unlike other aspects of our body where disease can strike at any time, tooth decay and gum disease can be prevented by an active and efficient daily dental hygiene routine.

The most obvious aspects of dental hygiene are brushing and flossing. These form the backbone of dental hygiene helping to remove dangerous plaque which causes the breakdown of tooth enamel and gum disease. Brushing removes the sticky plaque from the front and back surface of the tooth and makes it smooth so it is more difficult for plaque to stick to. Flossing removes plaque from the difficult to reach parts between the teeth and under the gum line. It also remove strapped food debris which can decay and release sulphurous smells that cause bad breath.

Dentists also recommend using a tongue cleaner to remove bacteria from the tongue. The soft and moist grooves of the tongue are the perfect place for bacteria to breed so by keeping it clean it will benefit the health of your whole mouth. It may also be a good idea to use an inter-dental brush to clean the smaller areas between the teeth. Mouthwashes can benefit oral health but some of them can remove too much of the bacteria in the mouth causing an imbalance which can have a negative impact on the health of the mouth.

For more information on how to best keep your teeth and mouth clean and healthy and the importance of doing so, ask a Leeds dentist at your next six-month check up.

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Central Leeds dentist prevents unpleasant bad breath

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Bad breath, or halitosis, is a particularly unpleasant oral hygiene condition that affects not just the sufferer but also everyone else around them. Everyone has probably had bad breath at some time or other in their life and may not even have known about it as it is notoriously difficult to detect yourself. It is caused by the presence of bacteria in the mouth which decay and release a nasty smelling sulphurous odour that is then carried out on the breath.

Contrary to what some people believe, most cases, over 90 per cent in fact, are caused by this and only a small percentage by digestion or internal concerns. For most people this will only happen on occasions when they have forgotten to clean their teeth properly. For others it may be more common as everyone has different levels of bacteria in the mouth but the treatment is still the same for everyone. Keeping teeth clean by brushing for three minutes at least twice a day helps to remove bacteria and food particles which are the main cause of bad breath. Flossing at least once a day is also essential to keeping the mouth looking and smelling clean. Flossing removes trapped food particles that stimulate the production of bacteria. It is also a very good idea to clean the surface of your tongue using a tongue cleaner. The grooves of the tongue are also a prime location for bacteria to live.

In the majority of cases improved cleaning can prevent bad breath but in some cases it may still persist. Under production of saliva, the body’s natural defence against bad breath may be the underlying cause in some cases. Ask a Central Leeds dentist at your next check up if you are concerned about bad breath as no matter what the problem there is always a way to treat this unpleasant condition.

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Learn why mouthwash is bad for bad breath at Leeds dentist

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Bad breath can be very embarrassing and can also be the source of great anxiety, especially because it is very hard to tell yourself if you are suffering. This can cause many people to rely on oral hygiene products such as mouthwash and breath freshening spray to keep their breath smelling fresh. What they might not realise is that not only do these products not really work but they could even be making the breath worse.

Studies carried out by the Food and Drug administration in the US found that mouthwashes do little more than mask the smell for a limited period, usually little more than twenty minutes or so before it returns. It does not remove the source of bad breath and is even forbidden from claiming as much on packaging in the US. The same can be said for sprays and breath mints, all of which merely mask the smell on a temporary basis.

Furthermore, mouthwashes kill bacteria in the mouth which can cause an imbalance leading to the production of more bacteria in the future. This is because it interrupts the production of saliva which is the body’s natural way of regulating the bacteria in the mouth.

The only way to truly beat bad breath is to improve your general standards of oral hygiene with better brushing and flossing. This removes plaque, bacteria and most importantly food debris trapped in the teeth, which decay releasing the odour associated with bad breath. A Leeds dentist can advise you on the best ways to keep your teeth clean and free from unpleasant halitosis.

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Simple tips to prevent bad breath from Central Leeds dentist

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

Bad breath can be a source of great embarrassment for many sufferers. One of the main problems of having bad breath is that it is often very difficult to tell when you are affected by it. Many people resort to using mouthwashes and other products that can apparently combat bad breath but without realising it might be making the situation worse.

Mouthwashes have been proven time and again to only mask the smell of bad breath for as little as ten minutes and for a maximum of two hours. After this time the odour returns and the bad breath is back and you may have been given a false sense of confidence. Mouthwashes can even destabilise the levels of bacteria in the mouth making the problem worse as saliva production is affected.

If mouthwashes and sprays are not the solution then what is? Well, really it’s very simple. Improved oral hygiene with better brushing and flossing will limit the effects of bacteria, plaque and decaying food matter which are responsible for the majority of cases of bad breath. Flossing especially can remove trapped food debris from between the teeth helping to prevent the development of sulphurous odours that cause halitosis.

Central Leeds dentist can help patients to improve their oral hygiene routines and also offer further advice about how to stop bad breath. This may involve not eating certain foods and drinking water during and after every meal to help clean the mouth and limit the production of bacteria. These few simple methods are tried and tested ways of stopping most bad breath without using products making false promises.

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Leeds dentists emphasise the importance of flossing

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

The purpose of brushing and flossing is to reduce the number of bacteria in the mouth that feed on food particles left over from eating. Bacteria feast on this food debris producing acids which cause damage to the enamel of the teeth, breaking it down and attacking the sensitive centre of the tooth. As if this wasn’t bad enough, bacteria and decaying food matter also cause over 90 per cent of cases of bad breath.

This collection of bacteria and decaying food is more commonly known as plaque. This can easily be removed by effective cleaning which involves brushing and flossing. Brushing removes plaque from the surface enamel of the teeth and gums but brushes are often unable to reach the more difficult spaces in the mouth that are breeding grounds for bacteria. People who brush but do not floss are exposing their teeth to the damaging effects of these bacteria. Some people equate brushing without flossing to having a bath and only washing two thirds of your body, such is the importance of flossing.

Leeds dentists recommend therefore that you should floss your teeth at least once a day to remove the plaque and trapped food from between the teeth and below the gum line, both places regular brushes are unable to clean. Cleaning below the gum line removes plaque which can build up in pockets destroying gum tissue and eventually loosening teeth. Leeds dentist can demonstrate the most effective way to floss teeth at your next check up appointment to help give your teeth the most complete protection.

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