An important aspect of your overall oral cavity health is having fresh breath that doesn’t offend other people. However, if you have halitosis frequently that is not caused by having a sinus infection or consuming foods that contain garlic, then you need to visit a dentist for an examination. A foul breath odor can indicate that you have inflammation in your gum tissue or that you have cavities in your teeth. In many cases, poor dental hygiene is a major cause of halitosis, but your dentist can help you to improve your breath.

Get a Dental Examination

A dentist is responsible for examining your teeth and gums, but it is also important for them to look at your tongue, palate and tonsils to see if there are any discolorations or growths. If food debris has collected on the soft tissues of your mouth, then a film composed of bacteria and other pathogens develops. At the same time, you might have a buildup of plaque between your teeth or along the base of your teeth. This hardened substance develops from an accumulation of food debris and bacteria. Not only can plaque cause bad breath, but also, it can lead to gingivitis and cavities.

Professional Teeth Cleaning Removes Plaque

In addition, you can have tonsils that have deep pits where food particles and bacteria will collect, making it more likely to have halitosis. If you have a large amount of plaque on your teeth, then having a professional teeth cleaning is imperative to reduce halitosis and prevent other dental health problems. Some people will develop plaque buildup quickly, and to eliminate this problem, they need to brush their teeth more than twice a day or visit a dentist several times a year for cleaning.

Use an Oral Irrigator to Maintain Fresh Breath

After your teeth are cleaned by a dentist, you should take better care of your oral hygiene by using the appropriate toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwashes. You may need to use dental floss after each meal to remove food debris. If you have tonsilloliths in your tonsils, then you might need to have the items removed, and to avoid developing new ones, you can use an oral irrigator to rinse the back of your throat. An oral irrigator can also remove additional food debris from your gum tissue and teeth to prevent foul breath odor.

If you need help with bad breath contact our dental office in Phoenix or Scottsdale at 480-860-0092