29th November 2023
What causes bad breath?
Have you ever worried that you have bad breath or has someone said that you have? This blog will explain why it can happen and give you some tips to prevent it and stop you feeling self-conscious.
Why do I have bad breath?
Bad breath (also known as halitosis) can be caused when teeth are not cleaned as efficiently as they could be. When parts of the teeth are missed when brushing, bacteria will remain on them. It’s important to clean the teeth thoroughly but also to make sure you angle your toothbrush towards the gumline to remove any plaque which sat along the gum. You should spend at least 2 minutes cleaning them.
Top Tip
Imagine your mouth is divided into 4 parts – top left, top right, lower left & lower right. If you spend 30 seconds on each quarter then you know you’ve cleaned each area equally well for 2 minutes! Many electic toothbrushes have a vibration every 30 seconds which can help you know when to switch to a different area. We recommended electric toothbrushes to make cleaning easier and more efficient.
I brush my teeth but still have bad breath. Why?
Our first bit of advice is to make sure you are using something to clean between your teeth. If you are only using a toothbrush then 40% of the tooth surface is being missed when you clean. The bristles on your brush can’t get into the tight spaces between teeth. This means bacteria will not be removed fully and will continue to cause bad breath. You can remove this bacteria by using interdental brushes in between your teeth (they’re much more effective than conventional dental floss).
I clean my teeth and floss but still have bad breath.
It could be that your brushing technique needs tweaking or that you are not using the correct size interdental brush. This is something our dental hygienist will happily assist you with. It could also be that there are some digestive issues occurring in which your GP can help get to the root cause of the problem.
We can help.
If you’re worred about your bad breath then we can help. You can easily book online or call us to see our dental hygienist to help get rid of bad breath and keep your breath fresh for good!
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