What causes Bad Breath?

Bad breath is caused by a build up of bacteria on the teeth and gums. Morning breath specifically is caused due to decreased salivary levels throughout sleep, making the mouth the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive and produce foul odor. Eating food flavoured with onions and garlic can exacerbate this as the lungs emanate the aromatic oils of these substances soon after entering the bloodstream. Fortunately this is only temporary.

More often than not, morning breath and pungent food residue is easily dealt with through brushing, flossing and rinsing. However in cases where brushing only masks unpleasant odors temporarily, then chances are you are suffering from gum disease.

Gum Disease

Plaque is an elaborate biofilm of bacteria that attacks the tooth and gums. When regularly removed, plaque is unable to inflict damage, but failing to be consistent in plaque removal results in plaque and calculus build up. Once irritated by plaque thriving bacteria, your gums suffer from inflammation. This inflammation is usually symptomatic of early-stage gum disease, or gingivitis. Gingivitis often results in bad breath. Left untreated, it’s natural for gingivitis to progress to periodontitis, or advanced-stage gum disease.

Once you’ve been diagnosed with periodontitis, you will need a professional deep cleaning procedure that removes plaque and tartar buildup. You will also need to follow a personalised oral hygiene routine that is designed to improve your oral health. Depending on your condition you may be prescribed with a special mouth rinse or antibiotic therapy.

Our two dental clinics at Park Road, Milton and Buranda Shopping Village are open and ready to accept patients from Milton, Woolloongabba and all other surrounding areas like Bardon, Indooropilly, Kenmore, Auchenflower, Toowong, St. Lucia, Southbank, West End, Dutton Park, Coorparoo, Fairfield, Greenslopes, Annerley, South Brisbane, Stones Corner, Mount Gravatt East, Holland Park, Highgate Hill and Brisbane CBD.