Most, but not all, bad breath comes from bacterial plaque and food accumulated mainly towards the back of the tongue.
The problem is, there are all sorts of not-likely-but-possible other reasons for halitosis: upset stomach, anxiety, inflamed gums, saliva deficiency, infections and removable dentures are among them.
Because nobody—but nobody!— wants bad breath, a billion-dollar industry has sprung up hawking a variety of mouthwashes, rinses, drops, pastes and mints to mask halitosis. But there’s a huge difference between hiding the symptoms and treating the cause of Dragon Breath. Take mouthwash. It tastes and feels like it’s solving the problem.
But most mouthwashes are alcohol-based. Alcohol dries out the mouth, which can re-ignite the halitosis—often, worse than ever. If you’re concerned enough about your breath that you’re buying these products, then you should be consulting a dentist, instead.
If you sometimes worry about your breath, you’re not alone. In fact, all of us fall in one of three categories:
Fortunately, our dental team is in a position to help all three groups.
