BAD BREATH AND SMOKING

When you smoke, nicotine will build up on your teeth, gums, tongue and it has a drying effect in your mouth, the moisture decrease in your mouth will limit the washing effect of the saliva as it acts as a natural mouthwash on oral bacteria.

There are many sources and causes of bad breath other than smoking, the most common cases of bad breath is caused by problems coming from within the mouth, for instance poor oral hygiene or even gum diseases.

There are people that have some degree of bad breath after they sleep, it is commonly referred to as morning bad breath. This case of bad breath is normal since the mouth stagnates and gets dry overnight. However this bad breath will clear away when the flow of saliva is restored, most likely after taking breakfast.

Also drinks, foods or medicines can lead to bad breath; the chemicals in the food can get into the blood streams and will then be breathed out from the person’s lungs. The most commonly know is the smell of garlic or other spicy foods and also alcoholic drinks. This bad breath is temporary as the smell will wear off after some time.

What will also cause bad breath is the deposition of food debris, plaque and also gum diseases. The smell of the already smoked cigarette is in itself bad breath.

It is normal that the more you stimulate less saliva production you are also increasing your chances of having bad breath, additionally when you have periodontal or dental problems you will have bad breath, smoking contributes to a lot of these damages for instance mouth ulcerations or other mouth diseases caused by smoking or deposition of nicotine.

To keep yourself free from bad breath due to smoking, it is advised that you note that cigarettes or cigars contain tar and nicotine that will build up on tongues, teeth or even the cheeks, aside from that it should be noted that smoking irritates the tissues of your mouth, this will tend to dry your mouth as saliva is inhibited, this in turn will increase the growth and build up of bacteria.

If you cannot quit smoking, it is good to observe good oral hygiene to get rid of the bad breath. After smoking it is advisable that you use mouthwashes that will get rid of the bad breath.

Since smoking inhibits saliva production, a smoker should drink plenty of water so that the mouth will not be left dry. A dry mouth is a favorite place for odor-causing bacteria.

A permanent solution to getting rid of bad breath is to totally quit smoking; this cannot be done once thus you should do it step by step. This should however not make you live with the bad breath, there are these solutions: regularly brush your teeth, always clean your tongue, use antiseptic mouth washes and floss your teeth to get rid of the food debris that will decompose and lead to bad breath.