How To Deal With Bad Breath, Yellow Teeth?

Bad breath or 'halitosis' can have many causes such as decayed teeth, infected gums or even respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, points out rediffGURU Dr Shyam Jamalabad.

• You can post your questions to rediffGURU Dr Shyam Jamalabad HERE.

Does your breath stink even after using a mouthwash?

What causes your teeth to become pale and yellow?

How do you turn your teeth white?

rediffGURU Dr Shyam Jamalabad has over 30 years of experience in dental care.

He has his clinic in Mumbai and his patients include both celebrities and slum dwellers.

• You can post your questions to rediffGURU Dr Shyam Jamalabad HERE.
  
  

Arijit: My mouth smells. My tongue is covered by a white coating.
I consulted a dentist. He prescribed a mouthwash. But the problem remains. Please help.

Hi Arijit. A white coating on the tongue is usually caused by food debris, dead cells or bacteria.

It can look scary but it usually isn't.

Please use a soft brush or tongue scraper to clean the tongue and it should be good in a few days.

Bad breath or 'halitosis' can have many causes such as decayed teeth, infected gums or even respiratory or gastrointestinal infections.

A mouthwash can give only limited and transient relief.

Please consult a better-qualified dentist or an ENT surgeon who should be able to identify the cause and find a permanent solution.

Anonymous: How to remove the yellow colour from teeth?
How many months or days will it take? Can you suggest an ingredient to use easily?

Hello. First of all, your dentist will have to determine the cause of the discolouration after a careful examination. Only then can he advise you how it can be corrected.

You may have to get your teeth cleaned (scaling and polishing) by your dentist.

In some cases, bleaching may be necessary. Do consult your dentist.

Rohit: Can tooth cleaning by a dentist damage enamel and calcium?

Dear Rohit, tooth cleaning performed by trained dental professionals DOES NOT damage teeth or enamel.

Even for the removal of hard deposits (tartar/calculus) that have been collected on teeth, we use vibrating instruments known as ultrasonic or piezo scalers which cannot damage tooth enamel.

They are unlike the high-speed rotating diamond-tipped tools that we use for procedures that need cutting tooth structure. Hope this puts your doubts to rest.

• You can post your questions to rediffGURU Dr Shyam Jamalabad HERE.

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