How Does Dry Mouth Cause Bad Breath?

31 March 2017
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Having bad breath is very embarrassing and can keep you at a distance from others so they do not notice your problem, but did you realize that dry mouth is one of the leading causes of this problem? Dry mouth, also called xerostomia, is a condition that can occur for many reasons, and this might be the cause of your bad breath.

What causes dry mouth?

Dry mouth is a condition common with seniors, but it can affect anyone. It is a condition that makes you feel like your mouth is always dry. This can interfere with speaking and eating, but it can also lead to oral health problems. One problem it can lead to is bad breath.

This condition can be caused by many things, but it is commonly caused by medications you take. It can also be due to dehydration, diabetes, and other types of health problems. If you suffer from dry mouth, you may want to talk to your doctor and dentist to see if you can determine what is causing this problem.

How does dry mouth lead to bad breath?

If you have chronic dry mouth, this is most likely the reason you have bad breath. Dry mouth leads to bad breath for one main reason – a lack of saliva. Saliva is a natural liquid produced by glands in your mouth. It is there to help you eat food and to speak, but it is also there to help your mouth stay clean. When you have dry mouth, you will not have enough saliva in your mouth, and this means that your mouth will not be able to clean itself as good as it should be. This can result in your mouth having too much bacteria in it, and it is the bacteria that leads to smelly breath.

What steps can you take to treat your dry mouth?

Living with bad breath is bad, but living with dry mouth and bad breath is even worse. If you have this and want to treat it, you should try to find out what is causing your dry mouth. If you can find this out and treat it, it could make a big difference. To treat dry mouth, you may also want to drink more water each day and chew on gum that is sugar-free. Sucking on breath mints or peppermints is another good way to treat dry mouth, because the candies will encourage your saliva glands to produce more liquid.

Taking the right steps might help you with your dry mouth syndrome, and this might help you achieve fresher breath. If you have questions about this, talk to a dentist today or check out a site like http://www.allaboutsmilesinc.com/.