Dealing with bad breath can be a major pain, but more often than not, brushing your teeth provides ample relief. However, if you’re still struggling with lingering odors and bad tastes in your mouth, this may be a sign that you’re dealing with a potential oral health complication, including a cavity. 

Although you may not initially realize it, cavities play a major role in whether you have bad breath and how difficult it can be to treat it. Thankfully, with the support of an expert dental team, you can treat your cavity and restore your fresh breath. In this blog, we’ll explore how cavities develop, why they cause bad breath, and what you can do to maintain fresh breath throughout the day. 

How Does a Cavity Develop? 

Every day, the bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar and starches from the foods and beverages you consume. As they do this, they begin to produce acids that slowly eat away at the enamel of your teeth. However, this acid is washed away when you brush and floss your teeth in the morning and at night.

The fluoride in your oral hygiene products help you remineralize your teeth after this erosion, protecting you from decay. However, if the acid erodes your teeth more frequently than the teeth are remineralized, the exterior of your tooth begins to break down, leading to white spots and pits forming in your teeth. Once the decay reaches this point, you’ve developed a cavity. 

If your cavities aren’t treated by a dentist as soon as they emerge, the pits in your teeth allow for a direct line to the interior tissue. As bacteria reaches this interior tissue, including dental pulp, you are at an increased risk of severe infection and discomfort, which must be treated by a dentist if you want to avoid further complications. 

Why Your Cavity is Causing Bad Breath

As mentioned above, cavities cause pits to form in your teeth. As these pits develop, they can become more significant holes in your teeth that food particles and bacteria become trapped within. As the food decomposes and the bacteria continues to feed on it, it releases a foul-smelling volatile sulfur compound (VSC), leading to bad breath

While you may consider brushing your teeth to address this bad breath, it isn’t quite so simple. The food and bacteria is trapped in hard-to-reach pits within your teeth that a brush and floss cannot get to. This can lead to chronic problems with your breath that can be difficult to address without the support of a reliable dental team. 

Additional Cavity Symptoms You May Experience

Although experiencing bad breath may be a sign that you’re experiencing a cavity, this isn’t the only symptom you’ll notice. Some of the most common symptoms you’ll experience when dealing with a new cavity include: 

• Increased sensitivity, especially when eating and drinking warm, cold, sweet, and sour foods and beverages. 
• A toothache or sharp pain that doesn’t go away and may become significantly worse when you’re biting or chewing. 
• New discoloration on the surface of your teeth, including black, brown, or white spots on the smooth or biting surfaces. 
• Visible holes and pits in the tooth, in addition to the changes in color.
• Swollen or bleeding gums that you cannot alleviate, even with more extensive oral hygiene practices. 

If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with your dental team as soon as possible. With their support, you can identify cavities in their earliest stages and eliminate the risk of significant damage. 

Other Common Causes of Bad Breath

While a cavity may be the cause of some bad breath, this isn’t the only thing that can cause the problem. If you’re experiencing odors that you cannot seem to kick, even after treating a cavity, your bad breath may be caused by: 

• Poor oral hygiene habits
• Gingivitis or periodontal disease
• Untreated oral abscesses
• Improperly cleaned dentures
• Regular tobacco use
• Low-carb diets
• Dry mouth from medication use
• Oral or nasal infections

If you’re unsure why you’re dealing with this frequent problem, it is essential that you reach out to your dentist as soon as possible. With an expert examination and cleaning, you can trust that they’ll identify the problem and help you achieve fresher breath. 

How to Keep Your Breath Fresh Throughout the Day

Whether you’re dealing with a cavity or have bad breath as a result of other factors, there are a few things you can do to keep your breath fresh throughout the day. If you’ve struggled with this problem in the past, consider incorporating these habits into your everyday routine:

• Brush between meals and avoid overly-pungent foods like garlic and onion. 
• Clean your tongue to remove additional bacteria from your mouth. 
• Avoid snacking and sipping on juice or soda whenever possible.
• Limit or discontinue your use of tobacco products. 
• Sip on water throughout the day to rinse away bacteria. 
• Chew sugar-free gum to help stimulate saliva production and avoid dry mouth. 
• Keep travel-sized mouthwash or spray on-hand for emergencies. 
• Limit your alcohol consumption, as it can contribute to dry mouth. 
• Schedule regular exams and cleanings with your dentist. 

Even the smallest changes to your everyday oral hygiene routine can make major changes in your breath. While incorporating these habits may be difficult at first, they can help you make a lasting difference in your breath and overall oral health. 

Achieve Improved Oral Health with Mountain View Dental

Whether you’re dealing with chronic bad breath, have noticed increased gum bleeding, or want to brighten your smile, our team at Mountain View Dental is here to help. For 15 years, our team has provided comprehensive dental care to patients across the Wasatch Front. No matter what dental care you want or need, our team provides the support you need. 

If you would like to schedule an appointment with our expert dental team, don’t hesitate to contact us.