The Bad Breath Blog

Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed out or feel anxious that your mouth is dry and uncomfortable? Well, that’s no coincidence! Anxiety dry mouth is a real condition, and it affects people who suffer from a wide range of anxiety, from everyday stress to irrational fears and paralyzing phobias.

According to the Calm Clinic, anxiety dry mouth is caused by a lack of production in the salivary glands, and it is fear induced. Although anxiety attacks may only last about 10 minutes, they can still cause your body and mind go into an ultimate panic and your breathing to become irregular. During an attack, you are often breathing through the mouth, and typically at a very rapid pace, which could cause you to feel as though you are gasping for air. In these types of situations, bodily fluids like saliva are diverted to other areas of the body. This causes the mouth and throat to dry out, which can potentially be painful and holds the possibility of lasting much longer than the actual anxiety attack.

Dry mouth can be a symptom of stress, as well. Whether you are going through a major life change, like marriage or a big move, or just dealing with your job or traffic, stress can cause your mouth to dry out. Treatment of dry mouth that is caused by stress can be prevented by using a humidifier, drinking 8-9 glasses of water, taking a hot shower and chewing on sugarfree gum.

“Anxiety and stress wreak havoc on the body. There is an increased amount of stomach acid as a result of stress and anxiety,” Dr. Stacey Silvers of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery told Yahoo! Voices. “Testing, including my own office tests, has shown acid reflux to make it as high as into the back of the nose. Stomach acid is a pH of 2 and can kill off some of the healthy bacteria that we count on to keep our oral cavity healthy and hydrated.”

When dry mouth turns bad

When we have dry mouth, it decreases the amount of saliva in our mouth, which is supposed to be there to help rinse down bacteria that collect in our mouths. So not only do you have an uncomfortable sandpaper tongue, but the bacteria that causes bad breath is just sitting at the back of your throat. Yuck! Suffering from dry mouth because of anxiety or depression is difficult enough, but the last thing you want to worry about is having bad breath. Luckily, this is preventable.

Destress yourself regularly

Some people think that meditation is silly, but give it a shot. You don’t have to go to a specialized facility and sit in a room with a bunch of other people, because you can easily destress in the comfort of your own home. Go to a room without a television or any loud sounds. Dim the lights, and maybe light a candle. Just sit down in a comfortable position and breath. It sounds like nothing, but it’s not! Focus on counting your breath, because it will help keep your mind from straying away. Try to do this at least once a week, in whatever way you feel most comfortable. You can even destress by going for a run in the fresh air or taking a relaxing bubble bath.

In addition to urging your mind to remain calm, there are other ways to battle dry mouth. Refrain from using any mouthwash that has alcohol in it, because these types of products can actually exacerbate the issue. Make sure to use all natural mouthwash and toothpaste, which will rinse away any bacteria that can cause bad breath. Products like these will also help keep your mouth moist.

With the passing of Halloween, the holiday season is now in full swing.  Hanukah, Christmas and New Year’s will be here before we know it. This means celebrating and consuming large, delicious meals with family and friends. Along with food comas, bad breath may also be a side effect of these wonderful meat-filled and sugar-packed festivities.

Cavities from nibbling on the left over Halloween candy or the goodies around the office also spike around this time. Dentists report a sharp increase in the number of cavities they treat. A few pieces of candy every now and then won’t do any harm, but it is vital to maintain healthy oral hygiene, especially during this time of year.

Many of us use the holiday season as an excuse to pig out on proteins and rich, sugary desserts. (more…)

During pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through various (if not dramatic) changes: back aches, swelling of the feet and ankles, random food cravings, and more.

With all that is going on with your body and all of the planning required to welcome this new little one into the world, I bet that your teeth and gums are probably the last thing on your mind.

However, did you know that the hormonal changes your body is experiencing during pregnancy can lead to “Pregnancy Gingivitis”?

If you already have gingivitis going into pregnancy, this condition is likely to get worse without proper gum care. Pregnant women that have gum disease are also six times more likely to have a baby that is premature or has a low-birth weight. (more…)

For those of you that haven’t already heard, Kanye West has diamond teeth. And we thought he already had everything.

Kanye recently showed off his bottom-row bling on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and there’s coverage of him exposing his sparkling grin in the November issue of Vanity Fair.

Kanye first announced his new bottom teeth on Twitter back in July (picture can be seen @kanyewest).

Singers with blinged-out teeth aren’t anything new. Lil Wayne is often seen sporting his bejeweled mouth out and about. However, he underwent a series of root canals and tooth implants to save his original teeth. And it’s a good thing because he did have to remove his grills when he went off to Riker’s Island prison. His teeth- jewelry slip on over his actual teeth.

Kanye’s new teeth aren’t going anywhere. His actual bottom teeth were reportedly knocked out back in 2002.  Staying true to his true larger-than-life style, he had permanent diamond ones put in.

This might prove to be a challenge in the years to come. Chewing may be difficult, not to mention brushing. It’s also possible that the diamond bottom row might start to erode the upper row of his actual teeth.

What advice can we offer him? Make sure you brush regularly and floss (if he can floss the bottom teeth) and use an oral rinse at least twice day.  And be sure to see your dentist regularly.

They are diamonds after all, so keep them shiny and the rest of your mouth healthy.

Yes, there are bad breath cures that actually work. If you’ve tried multiple techniques and none of them have been successful for you, there’s a good chance you’ve been treating the symptoms and side effects of the condition known as halitosis without addressing the source of the problem.

Don’t be embarrassed if that’s the case. It’s a lot more common than you might think. Since the medical industry itself has only recently learned the true cause of bad breath, you might be trying to cure it using misinformation that was unintentionally provided by a doctor.

What causes bad breath? Answering that question puts you halfway towards finding bad breath cures. The actual cause may not be what you think it is. All of that old school thinking about poor oral hygiene and certain foods being the culprits is only half correct.

Protein-rich foods can cause bad breath, but not directly. Their presence in the body provides sustenance for anaerobic bacteria that are the actual cause of the condition. If you’re looking for bad breath cures, you need to find ones that address the root cause, not one of the many surface issues.
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