Bad breath isn’t caused by braces themselves, but they make it easier for bacteria and plaque to build up in your mouth.
Your orthodontist needs to use brackets and wires to secure braces to your teeth. This hardware gives plaque more hiding spots. Hence, there are several places where old food particles might lurk, making them tough to clean. Plaque bacteria can generate unpleasant odors if you don’t brush or floss regularly. Braces can cause bad breath if food gets stuck in them, especially pungent foods like onions or garlic.
Read further to know more about bad breath with braces.
Causes of Bad Breath with Braces
Halitosis, or bad breath, is an undesirable odor that arises when you exhale. While bad breath typically resolves after brushing, flossing, and rinsing your mouth, it can indicate an underlying condition such as tooth decay or gum disease.
Products containing tobacco
Smoking or vaping dries up the mouth tissues and reduces salivation. Saliva keeps your mouth clean and healthy, and when you don’t make enough, bacteria build up and cause bad breath. If you smoke cigarettes, cigars, or chew tobacco, your breath may smell. Tobacco products can cause bad breath, discolored teeth, and sore gums. And tobacco products can worsen existing issues like gum disease and periodontitis.
Diet
After we eat, the saliva in our mouths begins to break down food particles. When food becomes caught between the teeth and along the gum line, it can generate an odiferous gas that causes bad breath. The same is true for items with an underlying odor, such as garlic and onions. Not only do they make our breath smell after eating them, but the odor persists until the food is completely digested. Caffeinated liquids such as coffee and tea are considered diuretics. This means they dehydrate the body and can result in dry mouth. When the mouth is not adequately hydrated, bad breath can result from a lack of moisture to wash away food particles and dead skin cells.
Poor oral care
You can accumulate plaque on your teeth if you do not brush twice a day for at least two minutes. As stated previously, plaque emits toxins that cause bad breath. Food particles become caught between the teeth if you do not floss at least once a day. Saliva continues to break down these particles in our mouth—additionally, plaque forms and releases toxins that contribute to bad breath.
Read more: How to Get Rid of Yellow Teeth with Braces
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Tips to Keep Fresh Breath
Everyone has the potential to suffer from bad breath and its symptoms, regardless of their age. You may even become self-conscious and avoid social situations to avoid having others smell your breath. Instead of taking this extreme, you should try to discover what is causing your foul breath and take action to resolve it.
Proper Oral Care
The purpose of dental care is not just to keep your teeth looking pretty. Dental hygiene is critical to avoiding common dental disorders such as gingivitis, tartar accumulation, and demineralization. The difficulty of maintaining proper dental hygiene while wearing braces makes braces wearers especially vulnerable to these issues. These dental diseases can develop into more significant oral health problems if left untreated. You may also have to wear braces for a more extended period of time. If your orthodontist suspects that you have gum disease or other oral health issues, it may be necessary to remove your braces, repair your gums, and then reapply them.
Drink lots of water
Staying hydrated is frequently ignored when it comes to maintaining fresh breath. When we do not drink enough water, our dehydrated mouths cannot create sufficient saliva. Saliva is supposed to wash away any food particles that become lodged in the mouth. Consume enough water throughout the day to aid with saliva production.
Visit Kumra Orthodontics for more information on how to get rid of bad breath with braces
At Kumra Orthodontics, we understand that having braces can cause bad breath. We offer a variety of customized approaches to help you reduce or eliminate the problem and live your best life with braces. Get in touch with us to learn how we can help you.
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