Battling Bad Breath

Here at Shen DDS many of our patients in Mountain View, CA come into our office for restorative dentistry like dental implants. Often times, after a patient has received their dental implant they are very surprised by just how lifelike and realistic their smile looks once implantation is completed. Because of this we see many of our patients smiling and conversing with other people more readily. It’s usually because of this that many patients discover they have an issue with bad breath. Now that they are ready to be social and speak to anyone, with the added confidence their new smiles have given them, the next question our dentist and staff frequently hears is “How can I best fight bad breath?” Seeing as this question is so often asked, we have decided to put together a list of bad breath battle tips. Here are a few of the best ones we have

• Carry around a travel size bottle of alcohol-free antiseptic mouthwash with you. If you feel like you struggle with bad breath, giving your mouth a quick swish with mouthwash after eating any food can help immensely. Antiseptic mouthwash provides a type of all over deep cleaning for your mouth and kills bad breath causing bacteria that might gather in your mouth after a meal has been eaten. Rinsing with mouthwash throws a real wrench in the production of this bacteria and can help you fend off bad breath
• Skip the chips. Eat some carrots, celery or an apple instead. No, we aren’t trying to give you health advice. It just so happens that eating these foods can help battle bad breath as well. Why? Because fruits and veggies contain fiber, and fiber stimulates the production of saliva in your mouth. Saliva is a natural bacteria-fighting agent in your mouth. The healthier your saliva production is, the less likely you are to have bad breath. So of course, eating foods that stimulate saliva production is a must in the battle against bad breath
• Floss. We know, we know. You hear this all the time. But the truth is it really does help your mouths health. Bad breath included. When you floss, you are removing food that may be trapped in between your teeth. When you don’t floss that food just sits there, gathering bacteria and eventually turning into plaque. Plaque not only smells bad and causes bad breath, but it’s the reason cavities in teeth are formed as well. So really, when you floss you are doing more than just battling bad breath. It’s an all around healthy thing to do and this is why dentists are always telling to you make sure you floss
• Drink more water. Skip the soda. Remember that bit about saliva being a natural bacteria-fighting agent and fiber helping to stimulate saliva production? Well, water does this as well. A hydrated person will have healthy saliva production. There is a reason your mouth gets dry when you are thirsty. It’s because this is your body telling you that you are in need of fluids. The more water you drink, the less likely you are to become dehydrated. Plus, soda contains lots of sugar. Sugar is one of the main ingredients in the plaque and bad breath recipe. If you are looking to keep your breath fresher, we advise keeping up on your water intake
• Keep a pack of sugar-free mint gum with you at all times. This one is kind of self-explanatory. However, there is some science behind it. It involves the production of saliva as well. Saliva is a major factor in the battle against bad breath and chewing is yet another thing that will stimulate its production. You need to make sure the gum is sugar-free though, otherwise you will only be making the problem worse

We hope these helpful hints have aided not just our dental implant patients, but anyone who wishes to have fresher breath. Fresh breath is not only pleasant and healthy for you, but it’s also appreciated by everyone around you. Until next time, keep drinking water and keep smiling