Using oral products may worsen your bad breath say South East London dentists

Using oral products may worsen your bad breath say South East London dentists

30 / 01 / 2011

Bad breath can be extremely inconvenient and lead to awkwardness in social situations. Dentists can offer great advice on how to combat it and one of these pieces of advice will probably be to tighten up your home oral hygiene routine. By taking extra care to brush and floss you are removing the bacteria in your mouth which causes bad breath. Strangely though, some of the products you might use to take care of your mouth can actually make the problem of bad breath worse.

The thing about some products is that they can make your mouth drier, which allows the bad breath bacteria to stick to your gums, teeth, tongue and the inside of your cheeks. If you suffer from bad breath and are using tooth paste which contains peroxide or baking soda, these ingredients might be making your mouth dry which means it is harder to remove the bacteria which is making your breath smell.

Products containing alcohol can often have the same effect: by keeping your mouth drier, the bacteria are harder to remove. A number of mouthwashes contain alcohol and it is imperative that if you use of these products that you rinse your mouth thoroughly with water afterwards. If you don’t then the alcohol will hang around in your mouth, keeping conditions dry and ideal for bacteria to flourish.

Be gentle with your mouth too as the bacteria causing bad breath thrives in conditions where the enamel on your teeth is starting to break down and cavities are forming. You may want to use a tooth brush with softer bristles or review the way you are brushing and do it with less force. Speak to your South East London dentist for more expert advice.