Bad breath is one of the worst problems that many people suffer. Not only the medical problems it may indicate but also its social effects can be quite disturbing. If you are suffering from it and have veneers, you may wonder “Do veneers cause bad breath?” Veneers are aesthetic pieces and they may give you the impression that they can not smell bad. So you may start to search for the reason behind the bad breath under the veneers. But really, do veneers cause bad breath? Or do veneers stop bad breath?
In this article, we’ll talk about the real and falsely accused relations between veneers and bad breath. We’ll see why bad breath happens and does it have any relation with veneers. So, let’s see do veneers cause bad breath or not.
Are veneers responsible for bad breath?
Normally they shouldn’t. Veneers themselves don’t cause bad breath as known as halitosis. However many people with veneers complain about bad breath and see veneers as responsible for this situation. There are some situations that can cause this but it’s not the nature of veneers. It’s a situation that is generally caused by the user’s fault or the dentist’s fault. How? It’s time to explore why!
How do veneers cause bad breath?
Again, they don’t! Unless they are applied improperly. In such a case, badly placed veneers may create a threat to your overall oral health. They may cause plaque accumulation, gum disease, tooth decay, gum irritation, and so on. All these can lead your breath to smell bad. Plus, if you don’t have regular oral hygiene, the situation worsens and the damage may get bigger.
Is it common?
There isn’t a specific statistic about it. But many people can experience bad breath and they put the blame on veneers. When you have an aesthetic smile, you may expect everything about it to be as aesthetic as it is. That’s why people may feel disappointed about their bad breath. But you must remember that veneers do not cover the entire tooth, only the visible surface of it. So they don’t represent everything going on in your mouth.
Causes of your veneer bad breath
We learned that veneers are not the cause. What are the causes then? Actually, there are multiple factors that may lead your breath to smell bad. And most of them are about how you take care of your teeth and how your habits affect them. But of course, you don’t have to be the only one responsible for bad breath. Sometimes a bad dentist can also lead you to such problems. Let’s see how do you get bad breath with veneers one by one in detail.
Improper placement
The first one is the dentist’s responsibility. The veneers and all kinds of orthodontic apparatus have to be applied properly. First, if there is a gap between the natural tooth surface and the veneer, food particles can be stuck and oral bacteria accumulate there. Bacteria feed on the food particles and form plaque. They can spread infections and cause gum disease which is one of the greatest reasons behind bad breath. Also, because the gap is harder to clean, bacteria may have more chance to thrive there. Moreover, improperly placed dental veneers can cause gum irritation which can also cause a bad smell.
Inadequate oral care
When it comes to the user’s responsibility, bad oral hygiene is the monster that destroys your breath. If you don’t brush at least twice a day or you don’t floss, the food particles get stuck between your teeth. As we mentioned previously, the bacteria in these areas will feed on them and multiply there. These bacteria cause both plaque accumulation and tooth decay. Both are the main causes of bad breath. If you don’t take precautions, they can advance and cause gum disease which is also really bad for your breath.
Smoking
Smoking is literally the worst enemy of your oral health and oral hygiene. You can guess the health part but how does it affect oral hygiene? The answer is simple: Dry mouth! Tobacco products reduce the secretion of saliva which causes dry mouth. Without enough saliva, your mouth stays dirty and becomes a suitable environment for bacteria and plaque. This absolutely causes bad breath. So, if you smoke and do not plan to quit, at least drink enough water and keep your mouth hydrated. But the best solution is not to smoke at all.
Dry mouth
As we said above, dry mouth is one of the main reasons for bad breath. As your saliva removes the food debris naturally and protects the PH balance of your mouth, it doesn’t allow the bacteria to multiply and harm your mouth without any barrier on their way. Without enough saliva, the food debris can hold its place and bacteria can feed on them.
It can occur because of various reasons. The main ones are smoking, alcohol consumption, and not drinking enough water. So, hydrating your body plays a major role in oral hygiene. You have to drink enough water on a daily basis. This amount can vary for each person but in general, everybody has to drink at least 8 cups of water daily.
Gum disease
The things we’ve talked about above are all the steps on the road to periodontal disease. Especially plaque accumulation spreads infections in the gums. When your gums get infected, they swell and bleed. After a while, they recede and make your tooth roots vulnerable to bacteria. All these are the reasons that cause a bad odor and other dental issues.
Tooth decay
The veneers cover only the visible surface of your teeth. So having dental veneers doesn’t mean that you’re totally protected from tooth decay. If you don’t keep your mouth clean and don’t care enough about problems like plaque buildup and dry mouth, your tooth will decay eventually. And if you have one, a foul smell will be inevitable as long as you have the cavity.
How to treat your foul breath?
The solutions to bad breath are actually quite simple. Good oral hygiene and avoiding bad habits are the main points. Quitting smoking, avoiding sugary food, brushing, flossing, and rinsing, as long as you do these things, it’s quite unlikely for you to have an unpleasant breath smell So, let’s look one by one at how these things can make you avoid such a situation.
Avoid sugary food
Sugary foods are the best for the bacteria that form plaque and cause decay. Want to hear something crazy? Before the mass consumption of sugar, there was almost no decay in people’s teeth. Oral bacteria feed on sugary foods are causing bad breath. So the most basic precaution you can take is to avoid these types of foods. If you eat them commonly, brushing becomes more crucial. You may not be able to brush but at least you can floss to clean your mouth from the debris. But simply, not eating too much sugary food is far better. Both for your oral health and general health.
Proper oral care
Dental hygiene is the most important thing you can maintain. Brushing two times a day, flossing, rinsing, and using mouthwash when you need are all effective battle methods against bad bacteria. When you brush and floss, you remove the majority of food debris, oral bacteria, and even plaque. So, there’s nothing better than maintaining good oral hygiene habits to fight against bad breath.
Dental cleaning
Sometimes brushing and flossing may not be enough to remove the bad stuff from your teeth. You can remove most of the plaque by brushing but it’s not possible to remove tartar buildup with that. Because tartar is much more concrete and stronger than plaque, you may need proper dental cleaning, scaling and root planning. With proper tools, a dentist can remove them quickly and prevent the situation from going worst.
Veneer replacement
If you have ill-fitting veneers, this is the reason lying behind your problems, You have to get your veneers replaced. Because that means you have a structural problem and as long as you don’t get it fixed, the problems like halitosis can reoccur. So you have to go to your dentist. The dentist will analyze the situation and will remove your old veneers. Then you’ll undergo the dental veneer procedure again.
When should you get checked?
Normally, everyone should visit the dentist for regular checkups, at least twice a year. But if you suffer from persistent bad breath you may consider seeing a dentist without waiting for the check-up time. There may be an underlying reason like the ones we’ve talked about.
Check what’s going on in your mouth and see if there are any signs or not. For example, you can examine your gums, if there are gaps between your gums and teeth, this is a sign of gum disease. Red and swallowed gums are also signs of gum disease. Don’t forget to check the back of your teeth as well. There may be some cavities that are not visible on the front. If you notice any of these, you have to visit your dentist and start the battle against bacteria to protect your beautiful smile at all costs!
References:
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Aylıkcı BU, Colak H. Halitosis: From diagnosis to management. J Nat Sci Biol Med. 2013 Jan;4(1):14-23. doi: 10.4103/0976-9668.107255. PMID: 23633830; PMCID: PMC3633265. (link)
Kapoor U, Sharma G, Juneja M, Nagpal A. Halitosis: Current concepts on etiology, diagnosis and management. Eur J Dent. 2016 Apr-Jun;10(2):292-300. doi: 10.4103/1305-7456.178294. PMID: 27095913; PMCID: PMC4813452. (link)
