Have you ever noticed someone with terrible breath, and they don’t do anything about it? 

Maybe it’s because they had garlic during lunch. Other times, it can be far more serious. One disease that you need to be mindful of is perio breath, as this can be a contributory factor to gum disease in a lot of cases. 

Here’s why they’re connected, and the best way to prevent both of these. 

Gum Disease Symptoms 

Gum disease usually happens due to bad oral hygiene, as many research notes have mentioned before. 

It’s common in those over the age of 30, and in general affects more men than it does women. 

However, if you do have the symptoms listed below, talk with your dentist to check on your gums. 

• Bleeding, tender or swollen gums 
• Teeth that are loose or sensitive 
• Gums that recede and teeth that look longer 
• Pain when you chew or a bite that’s misaligned 
• Breath that’s bad 

In early stages of this, it’s called gingivitis, and this is reversible. 

But, once you’ve created a much more serious type of gum disease, known by many as periodontitis, this can cause irreversible breakdown of the tissues of the gums. 

The Connections Between Bad breath and Periodontitis 

Periodontitis is gum disease, but how does bad breath play a role in this? 

We know bad breath is a condition called halitosis, which is caused primarily by bacteria in the mouth. The bacteria will break down various proteins, releasing some volatile sulfur compounds, all of which come with a terrible smell. 

Dental problems, including gum disease and infection, do contribute to this, and will make the issue more apparent. 

According to case studies in the journal of the international society of preventative dentistry, a lot of halitosis cases are intimately related to gingivitis, a bacterial coating of the tongue, or periodontitis. Almost all patients that have bad breath also do suffer from some form of gum disease. 

Another review from the journal of natural science, medicine and biology also mentioned that the inflamed tissues within those that have gum disease are a source of production of different VSCs within the mouth. 

So if the patient does have periodontitis due to more than enough plaque buildup, it can cause severe perio breath. 

Just as we’ve mentioned before that the gums do affect the person’s breath, the reverse of this is also true. 

Bad breath can increase one’s risk for periodontal disease.  It’s important to note that a lot of volatile bacteria do go to the gum tissues, but there is no specific reason for this as of yet. 

The Treatments 

The treatments for this usually involve a cleaning that’s called root planing and scaling.  This eliminates the bacteria that’s present over the gumline. 

The dentist might also ask you to take some antimicrobial medications so that the bacteria is better controlled in the mouth. 

In a much more severe incidence, you might need gum flap, or bone and tissue grafting in order to replace these oral structures that are thereby lost to periodontitis. 

The halitosis treatment does depend on causes underlying however, so you will want to make sure that you speak with the dentist in order to get the right action for you. 

Overall, strengthening the oral care that you have, including mouthwash and tongue scraping is a great idea for you to work on. 

Overall, if you have bad breath, or gum disease, always talk to a dentist because they will be able to ensure that you get the treatment that you need.