Hi i hope you can help me as i do not seem to be getting any help from any one or seem to be getting any correct answers from any one. I have been having problems with bad breath and bleeding gums for nearly 20 years now. As far back as i could remember its been hapning since i was about 8 years old and i am 28 now. I do admit i was very lazy in brushing my teeth when i was young and i know now that it was the cause of bleeding gums… i have visited the dentist couple of years ago to clean my teath but the bleedin kept on coming back. I have just recently visited the dentist again to clean them and the bleeding has stopped. The first visit i made to this dentist i started bleeding again after 1 week of cleaning my teeth so i went back again and the dentist cleaned the teeth under the gums with a mecanical tool and since then i have gone 2 months without bleeding which is the longest ive been with. The problem i have regarding bad breath i thought was due to the bleeding but i still suffer from the problem.. What do you think is the problem.. One thing i have noticed is tha my mouth does dry up a lot and that might be the cause of it. I have tried everything and it is really embarrasing to talk to people face to face.. I mentioned this to the dentist who said i have to visit the doctor..He also mentioned that the plaque that was hardened underneath my gums could be the cause of a dry mouth.. One other thing i do suffer from is indegestion and heartburn on a regular basis which obviously means i have too much acid inside me, could that not be the cause of bad breath? My bad breath is so bad that it even smells straight after i have brushed my teeth and also after anything i eat…Is there a cure for this or do i have to keep on suffering, if there is a cure what is it? and is it related to my acid problem i have? I have also had a filling done on my teeth but since then it has gone really sensative and is not improving, it is more sensative to cold food and drink and to cold air, the dentist said it will go away but it has been 3 months and not improved even with using sensodyne toothpaste.. Please help i cannot live with this bad breath problem anymore.. thank you so much for taking the time to read this far!!
Well, I understand you totally. Let me try to explain some facts about “bad breath” to start as it really seems to be the biggest problem. About 90% of the causes of “bad breath” exist in the oral cavity: the most common cause is gum disease but other infections such as peri-coronitis (infection around partially erupted wisdom teeth), tonsils, furry tongue (too much whitish/greyish debris on tongue), untreated cavities and bad filings trapping bacteria, and also dry mouth (if you are a mouth-breather) can also give you this problem.
Of the extra-oral causes the most probable relates to the nasal cavity, namely “post nasal drip” with chronic infection of sinuses, nasal obstruction, nasopharyngeal abscesses and even cancers.
Gastric problems like regurgitation, heartburn, ulcers can also give you “bad breath” but this is likely to be detectable during belching or vomiting… Diets rich in garlic and onions may enhance this. Alcohol leads to dehydration in the body and mouth, and so on…and on…
There are some more serious systemic diseases which occur with more specific “halitosis” such as hiatus hernia, diabetes, cirrhosis.
Bottom line, it is a problem that is very hard to identify its cause and there may be different causes coexisting.
My advice is that you ask your dentist about your gum problems, if all has been done to control it, then stick to a regular maintenance with a hygienist. If you are not convinced, seek a Specialist opinion. Stop smoking if you are a smoker. In addition it is important that you address this issue with your GP, check what is going on with your stomach and even investigate if you have any nasal problems with a specialist of ears, nose and throat (ENT). After all this you may get closer to solve your problem. I hope this is helpful.
Dr Jose Zurdo
Mall Dental Care
Pall Mall, Manchester, M2 4DU
Web: www.malldental.com Tel: 0161 830 7300
