Can gum disease cause bad breath?

Can bad breath be a symptom of gum disease?

Bad breath is a problem that plagues most of us at some point in our life and it could be that we have eaten or drank something that causes our breath to smell. However, in some cases bad breath can be the sign of a more serious problem, such as gum disease. Bad breath can occur if food has become stuck in between your teeth, so cleaning between your teeth helps resolve this problem.

If you think you have bad breath the best way to test this is to lick your wrist and smell it. If it smells slightly off, then it is possibly that you have bad breath and you may want to brush your teeth and then use mouthwash to remove the smell. 

Your breath will smell if you have gum disease, as tooth decayThe lay term for carious lesions in a tooth; decomposition of tooth structure. and rot will manifest itself as bad breath. The plaqueA soft sticky substance that accumulates on teeth composed largely of bacteria and bacterial derivatives. build up will cause your teeth to smell and as a result your breath will release undesirable gases. If gum disease is the cause you must book an appointment with your dentist or hygienist so that they can assess the scope of the problem. Once they have done this, they will recommend a form of treatment, which could be a further clean or more seriously a dental treatment such as a fillingA lay term used for the restoring of lost tooth structure by using materials such as metal, alloy, or porcelain. or root canalThe portion of the pulp cavity inside the root of a tooth; the chamber within the root of the tooth that contains the pulp. to resolve the problem. Importantly, they will also provide you with some information on how best to brush your teeth and prevent gum disease. In the long term this will stop the bad breath and allow you to feel more confident about speaking to friends, family, or co-workers.

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