Bad breath can be embarrassing, especially when hanging out with a group of friends and relatives. Also known as halitosis, it can make you feel uncomfortable and lower your self-confidence when speaking. Have you ever asked yourself why your friends try to cover their nose while you are speaking?
It’s simple; bad breath.
However, bad breath doesn’t just come overnight. There are some activities you may be doing, which makes you more vulnerable to bad breath. Some of these activities are surprising hence deemed uncommon but largely contribute to bad breath. Listed below are surprising reasons for bad breath.
Happy Hour
Going out with friends and relatives for a drink or two is usually not a bad idea. You’ll be having a good time and enjoying yourself with your peers. However, do you know that alcohol is one of the causes of bad breath? Liquor not only leaves you with a hangover but eventually dries out your mouth hence encouraging the bacteria, which causes bad breath. Spicy foods, drinks with high contents of caffeine, and cigarettes are other things that we enjoy but put us at the risk of acquiring lousy breath.
A dry mouth that doesn’t secrete adequate saliva while you sleep can also lead to bad morning breath. Therefore, ensure that your mouth is hydrated before you retire to bed.
An Ulcer
The ulcer itself cannot cause bad breath. However, studies show that the ulcer-causing bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori can indirectly trigger bad breath. According to Dr. Suzuki, from the Fukuoka Dental College, Japan, the Helicobacter pylori is connected to periodontal disease well-known cause of bad breath. Therefore, treating these bacteria can help stop the stink.
Heartburn
Your bad breath may also be a result of the symptoms of common digestive disorder, also known as gastroesophageal reflux(GERD). It is the backward drift of undigested food or any other stomach contents such as stomach acids back into the esophagus. Therefore, this regurgitation of stomach substances causes heartburn and some nasty smell in your mouth.
Tonsil Stones
Tonsil stones are also another one of the reasons for bad breath. These small white bunches consist of hardened bacteria, dead cells, food bits, and mucus get stuck in your tonsils’ wrinkles and behind your tongue. They are not painful, but they cause bad breath. The tonsil stones usually disintegrate with time; however, you may speed up the process by rinsing your mouth with a lot of water.
Medication
Some of the over the counter drugs such as antidepressants and allergy remedies stifle saliva flow hence leaving you susceptible to bad breath.
However, change of medications is not a good option, and for this reason, the Dental Association recommends that you hydrate regularly. Chewing sugarless gum is recommended to prevent your mouth from drying up.
Conclusion
Having bad breath is a horrible and humiliating experience. There are many obvious reasons why this happens. However, the above mentioned are just a few unknown or somewhat surprising reasons for bad breath. If you can minimize or do away with these causes, then the risks of experiencing bad breath will be lowered.
The safety and health of our esteemed patients is our main priority at Mountain View Dental. Our offices are open for services, and our staff is skilled and friendly. For more information or to book an appointment, call us on (385) 324-3557.
