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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 .
Fox Chapel Area | Spring 2017 | icmags . com 39