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INDUSTRY INSIGHT
DENTAL CARE
Recently my wife has been telling me that my breath“ smells”. I’ ve tried different toothpastes and mouthwashes but nothing seems to be helping. Is there anything you can recommend, or should I see my primary care physician.
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Thank you for this question. Yours is not an uncommon problem. The technical term for this is oral malodor or halitosis. As for the source it could come from a number of different places. The obvious ones would be external sources such as smoking or odorous foods such as garlic, onions, etc. These are all easily controlled by avoiding them, but from the nature of your question I’ m assuming this is not the case.
The main source that we find comes from bacteria. More specifically bacteria byproducts called volatile sulfur compounds. These bacteria can hide in a number of places but the usual culprits are in between the teeth, the back of the tongue, dental caries( or cavities), or ill fitting crowns.
There are other possible causes that could be medically related but I always recommend starting simple before getting more complex. The first thing I would recommend would be a visit to your dentist for a dental prophylaxis, or cleaning, along with xrays and a full exam, to check for underlying problems. If it is been a while since you’ ve been to the dentist, that process may take one or more visits. At Fox Chapel Advanced Dental Care we use ultrasonic dental units to do these cleanings. This utilizes small instruments that gently vibrate to remove the bacteria and plaque from the teeth, while water, at the same time, flushes and cavitates, under the gums disinfecting the mouth as it goes.
Even if your dentist is still using the older type of“ scaling the teeth”, They will at least be mechanically removing the bacteria.
If the gums in between the teeth, and cavities are taken care of, the next main spot for bacteria would be the tongue. Just brushing the tongue is not enough. The tongue has small little hair-like projections that lock bacteria and food particles in and brushing will only move the bacteria around not remove it. We recommend a tongue scraper. Although it may not sound like it, it’ s a gentle way to remove the bacteria from the tongue not just move it around.
After removing the bacteria from the mouth, use of a nonalcohol containing mouthwash designed to remove the volatile sulfur compounds will help greatly. Your dentist should be able to recommend one. However just trying to use these without professionally having your teeth cleaned is just masking the symptoms at best, and probably won’ t work. And if the mouthwashes you’ re using contain alcohol, they also will dry out your mouth and ultimately may make things worse.
Other things that you can add to your daily regime would be to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. Floss daily, and get the proper amount of sleep. Because increased stress levels can also cause problems with your breath.
If after all of this the problem still persists a visit to your primary care physician or an ear nose and throat specialist maybe indicated. There could be issues with sinuses, tonsils, or other medically related
issues. However this typically only occurs in 15 % or less of the population.
As for how often you should be having your teeth cleaned that differs from patient to patient. Based on how quickly the bacteria recolonize. With some patients, we see them as often as once a month, others we see twice a year, or anytime they just want that clean fresh feeling, everyone falls somewhere in between.
Hope this helps, and as always, if you have any other questions ask your dentist or you can give us a call here at Fox Chapel Advanced Dental Care.
Good luck, Dentally yours Dr Kevin Pawlowicz
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This Industry Insight was written by Dr. Kevin Pawlowicz.
Dr. Pawlowicz practices at Fox Chapel Advanced Dental Care on Old Freeport Road in Fox Chapel. He has trained at the Las Vegas and Seattle Institutes and is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the Academy of Laser Dentistry. You can learn more about Dr. Pawlowicz on his website www. foxchapeldentistry. com.
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