Halitosis
Bad breath in Greenwich, CT: mouthwash masks it, we find the cause
The overwhelming majority of persistent bad breath starts in the mouth, and once we identify which surface is responsible, it is usually straightforward to address.
How urgent is it?
Routine visit
Not urgent, and worth raising. We discuss it matter-of-factly, without any awkwardness.
Opening hours
Mon–Tue 8a–7p · Wed–Thu 8a–5p · Fri 9a–2p
What this usually means
The causes we see most often
01
Bacteria on the back of the tongue
The single most common source. The coating toward the very back of the tongue produces the sulfur compounds you can smell.
02
Gum disease
Deep pockets hold bacteria that brushing cannot reach, and they have a characteristic smell we recognize right away.
03
Decay, or food trapped between teeth
One broken tooth or one overly tight contact point can be the whole explanation.
04
A dry mouth
Saliva acts as the mouth's own rinse. Many common medications reduce it, and breath tends to worsen as a result.
What to do right now
Before you get here
- 01
Clean the back of your tongue with a scraper, or the back of your brush, reaching a bit further than feels natural.
- 02
Clean between every tooth daily. If you smell the floss afterward, that spot is likely where the problem lies.
- 03
Drink more water and cut back on coffee, particularly if your mouth tends to feel dry.
- 04
Use an alcohol-free rinse. Alcohol dries the mouth further and can make the underlying cause worse.
What we would do
At the appointment
We look for a specific source rather than treating it generically: gum pockets, a failing filling, food traps, or a dry mouth caused by medication.
A thorough cleaning along with treatment of whatever we find resolves the great majority of cases.
If the mouth is genuinely healthy, that is worth knowing too, and then it becomes a conversation about the sinuses, reflux, or medication with your physician. We will say so rather than recommend more cleanings than you need.
How we fix it
The treatments this usually leads to
Q & A
What patients ask us about this
Rinsing removes the smell temporarily, not the bacteria living in a gum pocket or coating the back of the tongue. It buys you an hour or two at most.
Occasionally, but far less often than people assume. Causes in the mouth are so much more common that we rule those out first.
Not with us. It is a common reason people visit, and we treat it as a clinical question with a findable cause, just like any other.
Where we are
211 East Putnam Avenue, Suite 2-6, Cos Cob
Minutes from central Greenwich on East Putnam Avenue, with parking at the building.
Patients travel to us from
Describe it in your own words when you call. We will tell you whether it needs us today.