Summary
Today's podcast covers bad breath. Dr. Nammy Patel explains why bad breath happens and how it's an indicator of your oral health. Then, she outlines strategies for getting rid of bad breath.
John Maher: Hi, I am John Maher and I’m here today with Dr. Nammy Patel, founder of Green Dentistry in San Francisco, California, helping patients recognize the vital connection between dental health and whole body health and author of the bestselling books, Age With Style: Guide To A Youthful Smile & Healthy Living and Total Wellness: Understanding The Link Between Your Teeth And Your Health.
Today, our topic is bad breath and your oral health. Welcome, Dr. Nammy.
Dr. Nammy Patel: Thanks, John. Thank you for having me.
Causes of Bad Breath
John: Sure. Dr. Nammy, what are some of the causes of bad breath?
Dr. Nammy: Oh, wow. So one of the most common causes of bad breath is gum disease. If you have snake-like bacteria that are in your mouth, they cause a lot of bad breath. It’s probably bad breath when your partner says, “Oh, I don’t want to kiss you in the morning.”
Why Is Bad Breath a Sign of Oral Health Problems?
John: And so why is bad breath maybe an indication of poor oral health?
Dr. Nammy: Well, bad breath is an indication of poor oral health because when there’s stinky breath, we know there’s bad bugs in your mouth. So those bad bugs can come from many reasons, right? They can come from having a dry mouth. They can come from cavities. They can come from gum disease. They can come from acid reflux. They can also come if you’re a diabetic or have some sort of systemic disease, and it creates an acidic environment for the bacteria to overgrow. And it makes bacteria overgrow that we don’t want.
That is the biggest concern with bad breath, and we want to eliminate those because we like to kiss. We like to hug. We like to be around people. We really want to make sure that we really get to the root cause of the bad breath and address it properly.
Problems Linked to Bad Breath
John: Now, if you don’t address it properly and you just leave it, what are some of the larger problems that maybe can occur?
Dr. Nammy: Well, a lot of times untreated gum disease and cavities will lead to tooth loss, which is horrible. A lot of times these bacteria go into the belly. You swallow five gallons of bacteria every day, by the way. So if these bacteria are going into your belly and then they get into your bloodstream, they’ll cause heart attacks. They’ll cause diabetes. They’ll cause arthritis, and ultimate death, right? Even cancer.
So when we say it’s about bad breath, it’s really deeper than that. It’s not just about the bad breath. It’s really about what’s causing that bad breath. When you have an acidic environment, that means your body is a brewing ground for bacteria and viruses to overgrow.
A lot of times people have autoimmune conditions that develop. Any disease is developed from bacteria, and also helps to create the perfect environment, which is an acidic environment. So one of the other reasons I said that there’s bad breath is if there’s acid reflux. That is a sign for you to go seek medical help.
The reason for that is when there is acid reflux coming up, your body’s building up a lot of carbonic acid. That acid is going to dissolve your teeth. You’re going to get cavities, obviously, and gum disease. That’s one thing, but really all that means that your body’s not working the way it needs to. There’s an accumulation of acids when we really want our bodies to be basic. So that’s the reason why.
Dental Treatments for Bad Breath
John: And how do you as a dentist treat bad breath and those underlying problems that cause it?
Dr. Nammy: Well, for cavities and gum disease, it’s really straightforward. Well, number one, I test the species of bacteria. I get rid of them. I use lasers. I use ozone. I use iodine, and I eradicate those suckers. But as I eradicate those suckers, we also look at, is it multifactorial? Is it just bacteria? Is that you’re not brushing your teeth? Or is the bad breath actually coming because you have an acidic environment, and you’re also mouth breathing? So let’s address that.
If it has to do with the fact that you’ve been on medications for a certain long period of time, let’s see if we can minimize that for you. Or let’s make sure that, hey, that medication is actually causing dry mouth and it’s causing you to be dehydrated. Let’s make sure we address that, making sure you have an oral lozenge that helps.
Let’s make sure you’re hydrating enough in order to be able to help you get to the root causes and really avoid bad breath and cavities and gum disease and your poor health. We really want to focus on, how can we help you? How can we help you feel better? You want to also look good, feel good, and be comfortable. You want to chew as well, so how do we get all of that all together?
Home Remedies for Bad Breath
John: And are there things that people can do at home to help prevent bad breath?
Dr. Nammy: Yeah, absolutely. The first one is floss. Floss, floss, floss. Get an electric toothbrush. That is wonderful. A Water Pik is wonderful too because it squirts the bacteria out of your mouth. You can try an oral lozenge. Those are really great. Making sure you stay hydrated, these are just simple things that can go a long way with bad breath. They really make a difference.
I will say avoid Listerine. Avoid mouth washes. They’re a bunch of caca. They have alcohol in it. They actually dehydrate the mouth and actually makes it worse. There’s also patients who smoke that have bad breath as well. Again, the mouthwash isn’t going to work for you, so don’t try Listerine. It’s not going to do the job. You need more specialized products that are going to help you much, much more, like things that are going to keep your mouth hydrated and making sure you get a good cleaning and making sure that tartar is removed on a regular basis.
Contact Green Dentistry for Help With Bad Breath Today
John: All right, that’s great advice. Dr. Nammy, thanks again for speaking with me today.
Dr. Nammy: My pleasure.
John: And for more information about Green Dentistry, visit the website at SFGreenDentist.com or call (415) 433-0119.