Yucky! What is Perio Breath?
Have you ever noticed that someone has really bad breath when you’re talking to them? It’s more than just eating too much garlic, but they may have a serious issue. They have something called perio breath, and that involves problems with the gums, which in turn contribute to those bad odors within the mouth. Here’s how they are connected, and what you do to prevent these problems.
So what are the symptoms of gum disease. Well, it’s common in those who are over 30, and it affects more men than women. It involves swollen, bleeding gums, sensitive or loose teeth, receding gums, pain and a maligned bite, bad breath, and of course, tooth pain in some cases. In a lot of early cases, this is actually reversible though dental treatments, but over time, this does become something called periodontitis, which is of course the more severe form of gum disease.
How does this connect to bad breath though? Well, bad breath, which is called halitosis, is caused by bacteria within the mouth, and this is why they break down the particles, and release volatile sulfur compounds, which in turn have a nasty smell. Dental issues, including gum disease and infections, contribute to bad breath and make it worse.
A majority of cases do have gingivitis, periodontitis, or even a bacterial coating on the tongue. In fact, almost 80% of patients have some form of halitosis that’s in the study, and a lot of people do have bad breath. Usually, if you have plague that’s built up, you can develop much stronger bad breath, since you’re dealing with not just the gum disease, but also the stinky breath.
Halitosis can also affect the risk of someone developing this. this is because the bacteria will go to the gum tissues, and this can affect the teeth, though the connection isn’t fully understood yet.
So what’s the treatment for this? of course we have dental scaling and root planning, which is where the bacteria is eliminated both above along with below the gumline. The dental specialist may also prescribe some antimicrobial medications to help with this, and you might need flap surgery or a bone graft to help with the tissues. You have to treat halitosis by looking at the underlying cause of course, so it might be going in to treat the gum disease, but you should also consider getting frequent cleanings, and make sure that you add tongue scarping or a mouthwash to your at-home care routine for the best results, and of course taking care of it.
If you brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste, floss once a day, and see your dentist for checkups on the regular, you’ll not only feel good and confident when it comes to battling halitosis, but you’ll also reduce the risk for gum disease by a lot, and it can in turn help you improve yourown health and wellness as well, so definitely start to do that.
