When your breath is not pleasant, it can affect your confidence in professional and social interactions. Halitosis, or chronic bad breath, is difficult to control, and brushing your teeth or using mouthwash may not eliminate the bad odor, or not for long. Halitosis is often caused by an underlying health issue, which may be within your mouth. At Johns Creek Dental Studio, we offer diagnosis of the cause of chronic bad breath and halitosis treatment at our dental center in Alpharetta, GA.

Bacteria are often the cause of bad odors – everything from bad body odor to rotting food smell are caused by bacteria. The same is true of most cases of halitosis. While your mouth always has bacteria inside, they do not cause odor unless there is a problem. When the bacteria are flourishing due to hiding in pockets in the gum tissue around the teeth, tartar, tooth decay or food debris in the teeth, bad odors are usually coming from your mouth. In severe cases, halitosis can be caused by an oral abscess or infected tooth.

Treatment for Bad Breath

The first step to stop bad breath is finding the cause of your halitosis. A routine dental cleaning and checkup will reveal if you have any dental or oral health problems. Gingivitis or gum disease are common causes of bad breath, which our hygienist can identify during your dental cleaning and periodontal exam. Your checkup by our dentist can also detect problems like tooth decay or infections that may be causing halitosis.

In many cases, halitosis treatment is not needed. Once the dental or oral health problem is fixed, the bad breath odor goes away. It is important to first eliminate a dental issue as the cause of bad breath before exploring halitosis treatment or considering medical problems that may be causing your breath odor.

If you are embarrassed due to chronic bad breath, come see us at Johns Creek Dental Studio. We can perform a thorough teeth cleaning and exam to check your oral health for problems. Contact our office in Alpharetta, GA, to schedule your appointment for a halitosis diagnosis and treatment.