Does Flossing Help Bad Breath? To begin with, you should know that bad breath is not only an annoying problem to deal with but also an embarrassing social issue that is easily preventable and treatable. Studies show that about 65 million Americans experience bad breath at some point in their lives. One effective method of curing bad breath for good is an easily available but often neglected oral hygiene tool – the handy floss.
What is Halitosis?
Halitosis is simply the medical term used to describe bad breath. Other ways to say bad breath include the terms “fetor ex ore” or “fetor oris”. Dentists frequently further clinically classify halitosis as:
1. Genuine Halitosis: that can be due to pathological or physiological causes,
2. Pseudo-halitosis: that is self-reported, non-existent, bad breath that can be successfully treated,
3. Halitophobia: The fear of having bad breath.
How to Tell If You Suffer From Bad Breath
A question many people in different situations find themselves wondering is, “How can I tell if my breath stinks?” There are many ways to test your breath for any signs of malodor. Some methods include the following:
- Licking the back of the hand and sniffing the area after ten seconds,
- Smelling a piece of floss after use,
- Spitting into a vial and sniffing the vial,
- Consulting a dentist. A dentist may detect malodor using a halimeter, a specialised device made for this purpose.
What Causes Bad Breath?
Bad breath is a social issue with a plethora of potential causes. Some of these causes include:
- Food:The food you ingest can cause instant bad breath. Onion and garlic particularly have been known to be the common culprits.
- Dry Mouth/Xerostomia:Also known as xerostomia, a dry mouth can allow odours to build up after a meal or in the event that an individual has not adequately cleaned the oral cavity. Saliva is an essential lubricant for the mouth, which is needed to flush away the harmful odor and decay-causing bacteria down the throat.
- Medication:Some medications cause bad breath by causing dry mouth, while others have malodourous by-products. Examples include metronidazole, a common antibiotic, and medications that include arsenic, which may cause your breath to smell like rotten onions.
- Neglected oral hygiene:Perhaps one of the most frequently reported causes of halitosis is bad oral hygiene. Collections of food debris and plaque have a disastrous effect on the gums. Failing to brush and floss properly allows harmful bacteria to grow and persist in the oral cavity. These microorganisms release volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), including hydrogen sulfide, methylmercaptan, and dimethylsulfide. High levels of these compounds have a strong link with chronic bad breath.
- An Extra-Oral issue:Bad breath may be linked to an extra-oral pathological disease, which warrants a consultation with a physician. Extra-oral causes range from diseases of the lungs, including bronchiectasis and chronic bronchitis, to gastrointestinal tract diseases, including gastric hernia. More common extra-oral diseases, however, are ear-nose-throat (ENT) related, including tonsillitis.
Does Flossing Help Bad Breath?
“Can not flossing your teeth be the cause of bad breath?”
To simply put it – yes.
If you brush your teeth twice a day but still wonder why you suffer from bad breath, then the treatment for your halitosis may simply be regular flossing.
A flossing thread is an effective tool to reach those pesky crevices around and between your teeth that your regular toothbrush fails to clean. These troublesome areas harbor Sulphur producing bacteria and provide a home for these insidious microorganisms. Removing these bacteria will result in cleaner teeth free of plaque, healthier gums, and ultimately, no more bad breath.
The American Dental Association has further stressed the importance of flossing by recommending flossing once a day along with the standard twice-a-day brushing protocol.
Can Not Use A Flossing Thread Properly? Try a Water Flosser Instead!
Using a regular flossing thread can be a vexatious task for many. Knowing how to successfully navigate a thread to the designated spaces around the teeth and the gum lines is essential to obtain good oral hygiene. If not done correctly, not only will plaque deposits remain, but the practice may actually damage the gums and induce a bleeding episode.
A practical alternative is the dental water flosser. Oral irrigators use a stream of water to flush away the bacteria and food debris. Oclean’s Water flossers are also convenient for people with braces and other dental appliances such as implants.
The Bottom-line
Halitosis is a common and inconvenient problem that can be frustrating to deal with but has a straightforward cure. Integrating the practice of flossing, which is made easier with the invention of portable water flossers, into your oral hygiene maintenance protocol can do wonders to prevent and cure oral malodor.
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