This two-part article series discusses the predominant causes of halitosis, helping people understand what they need to do (or NOT do) to prevent bad breath!

1. The Dentist in Silver Spring MD: Understanding
What Causes Bad Breath, PART 2
This two-part article series discusses the predominant causes of halitosis, helping people
understand what they need to do (or NOT do) to prevent bad breath!
Welcome back to our two-part article series on the various causes of bad breath. In our previous
article installment, the dentist in Silver Spring MD explained that the predominant cause of
halitosis is bacteria and that this can quite easily be combated with good oral hygiene and regular
visits to the oral hygienist for a professional cleaning. It was also discussed that various foods can
turn your breath sour and that onion, garlic and alcohol, in particular, are absorbed by the
bloodstream and exhaled out through the lungs. This means that no amount of brushing or flossing
will eliminate their lingering pungency.
In this article, we shall move on and take a look at a few other causes behind bad breath, starting
with quite an unexpected source… your respiratory system!
3. Respiratory Health and Bad Breath
Actually, perhaps it isn’t quite so unexpected… the air that is expelled out your mouth (your breath)
may either smell bad because of the bacteria inhabiting your mouth, or because of the bacteria
inhabiting your respiratory system. A sinus, lung or throat infection can therefore quite easily cause
halitosis. After all, by no stretch of the imagination does diseased, infected tissue smell pleasant!
So, if you do suffer from chronic bad breath in spite of your efforts to keep your teeth clean, you
may need to see a medical doctor.
There are, in fact, a whole host of illnesses and conditions linked to bad breath, or rather they
share a close relationship with periodontitis or gum disease; an advanced bacterial infection of the
soft tissues surrounding the teeth and the underlying jaw bone. To put it quite simply, chronic bad
breath may have potentially serious causes and you should book yourself an appointment with your
dentist in Silver Spring MD as soon as possible.

2. 4. Another Reason to Kick the Habit Before You Kick the Bucket
As if cigarettes don’t do enough damage, they also make your breath pong. It’s more than just that
old ashtray smell, though. The smoke is so hot that it sears the soft tissue in the mouth, causing it
to become red and inflamed. The smell of this, coupled with increased bacterial activity, causes
something aptly referred to as “smokers halitosis”. If you are a die-hard smoking fan (pun intended),
then try to avoid hitting on the non-smokers in the bar… chances are your breath will turn them
off.
Keep it Clean!
Just to sum it up, the best ways to avoid bad breath are:
• To maintain a high standard of oral hygiene,
• See your Silver Spring dentist and oral hygienist on a regular basis,
• Avoid pungent, stinky foods, unless you’re willing to wait a day for it to work its way out of
your system,
• Stop smoking and avoid alcohol,
• Stay away from sugary, starchy foods that encourage bacterial activity,
• Drink plenty of water,
• Rinse with an ADA-approved anti-bacterial mouthwash,
• Chew sugar-free gum after meals if you don’t have access to a toothbrush.
• If none of these measures have any long-term effects, then book an appointment with a
medical doctor.
If you follow the recommendations of the Silver Spring dentists and keep your mouth clean, you
should succeed in doing more than just keeping bad breath at bay; you should also keep your teeth
in a healthy and beautiful condition! Now that’s a win-win!
Thanks for Reading