Treatment for Halitosis

Home oral care and professional treatment for halitosis (bad breath), can be planned for you by your physician or by your dentist. Home oral care treatment plans are usually given to you following the diagnosis of halitosis or as part of your routine dental visit. You can also ask specifically for instructions on how to treat bad breath at home.

Home Oral Care

Having good home oral care habits is probably the easiest way to reduce the accumulations of debris and bacteria in your mouth that can lead to halitosis.

Home oral care consists of regular and proper tooth brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash. Brushing your tongue with a commercial tongue scraper over the bumpiest region of the tongue can help to remove the odor-causing agents that love to sit on the tongue back there. Scraping the tongue can lower the overall bacteria count in your mouth. A lower bacterium count means less chance for bad breath.

It is important to monitor your gums to help catch early signs of gum disease because gum disease plays a role in halitosis. Taking the time to schedule regular dental visits will help catch the first signs of gum disease. Your dental hygienist can teach you how to look for signs of gum disease at home.

Dry mouth can cause bad breath. If you are on any of the following medications, they may lead to dry mouth: antihistamines, some antidepressants and diuretics. If you are on any of these medications and you notice signs of dry mouth, speak with the medical professional who prescribed the medication or who treats you, and find out if you can be switched to a different medication or if there is anything you can do at home to alleviate the symptom of dry mouth.

If you do suffer from dry mouth, there are several things you can do at home to combat it. You can chew sugarless gum and drink adequate amounts of fresh, plain water. An average amount of daily water consumption is 8 - 8 oz. glasses of water.

Avoid alcoholic beverages as they can dehydrate you. Many mouthwashes ironically contain alcohol; so read labels when purchasing mouthwash and look for brands that do not contain alcohol.

There are some nutritional supplements that may help prevent periodontitis such as vitamin C, E, selenium, zinc and coenzyme Q10. Folic acid has been shown to reduce the severity of gingivitis when it is taken in a mouthwash.

Zinc according to research, has shown to reduced the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds in our mouths. One such research study actually demonstrated that zinc added to a baking soda toothpaste actually lowered these compounds and decreased the occurrence of halitosis. If bad breath is a concern for you, try looking for baking soda toothpaste that contains zinc.