About Healthy Mouth

Most of us experience a bout of bad breath at different instances in our lives. The most common reasons for bad breath include a long night sleep and dietary choices. The chronic bad breath, however, can be an entirely different story. In most cases of chronic bad breath, the real culprit is a hormonal change. Women typically develop bad breath due to hormonal changes in their bodies.

In this article, we will discuss the most common triggers of hormonal changes that can lead to chronic bad breath.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a condition that has to result in drastic hormonal shifts throughout its duration. These hormonal shifts are crucial to make the body adaptable to necessary changes required to give birth. On the flip side, these hormonal changes result in a higher likelihood of gum disease, which can be a precursor to bad breath. It is mainly due to the body’s altered reaction to the existence of bacteria in the mouth – your body might not consider bacteria a significant threat to your oral health. This entire phenomenon can result in bad breath.

Menopause

The lack of estrogen resulting due to the start of the menopause period is one of the reasons women suffer unpleasant effects such as hot flashes and mood swings. It can also result in mouth dryness, which can result in the prevalence of harmful bacteria in the mouth. Bacterial growth in the mouth results in the production of decay-causing acids that also cause bad breath. You can, of course, drink plenty of liquids to combat mouth dryness.

Hormonal birth control

Taking any form of hormonal birth control can lead to an elevation in the levels of specific hormones, including estrogen and progestin. The heightened levels of these hormones can prevent pregnancy. The significant side effect of using hormonal birth control medicines, including oral contraceptives, is that they can change the way your body reacts to the presence of bacteria in your mouth. Your immune system may not consider it much of a threat, which may result in those bacteria producing more acids to cause tooth decay, gum irritation, and bad breath.

What are the preventive measures?

If you notice the prevalence of bad breath due to hormonal changes in your body, you may want to get an appointment with your physician or dentist.

• If you are pregnant, you will need to continue going to regular dental checkups. Although health experts do not recommend dental work during pregnancy, you can still have regular dental cleaning to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. It will also help you prevent bad breath.
• You can speak to your doctor regarding hormonal therapies to manage the impact of hormonal change caused by menopause. These therapies may include your doctor administering synthetic versions of hormones.
• You have to remain persistent with your oral hygiene routine while taking oral contraceptives. You will also have to discuss those medications with your doctor to get help in managing the side effects of those medications. Using non-alcoholic mouthwash and brushing your teeth more frequently can help you prevent those side effects.