New here -- my story

[Jennxoxo]

I am new here and this is my first post.

I haven't always had BB, or at least this bad. I noticed it started to be a constant thing about four months ago. I couldn't tell you if anything significant happened to coincide with that time frame, but I know this is a relatively new problem. I began noticing every so often that when I spoke I could smell what I thought to smell like moth balls. To me this is what elderly people's breath always smell like, so I knew the smell to be stinky breath. I also began noticing that my boyfriend would kiss me less when we're "intimate." I would tell my best friend, "god my breath stinks!!" but she said it was all in my head and she couldn't smell anything and never has. She swears up and down by this and I was always too embarassed to ask anyone else. Finally I mustered up the courage to ask my boyfriend to be straight with me: Does my breath smell bad? He said yes and confirmed that it has gotten bad recently. Before I guess I had bad breath like everyone else, but not on the halitosis level.

I went to the dentist and discovered I have periodontal disease. I haven't been to the dentist for a cleaning in over four years because of tooth sensitivity but I finally went. Unless the periodontitis is causing my bb they don't have an answer. When I started noticing my bb I began flossing and brushing obsessively. But now it almost seems like the more I take care of my teeth the more I notice it. The first time I flossed it smelled terrible, but I don't notice that anymore (nasty smelling floss). Now I brush/floss daily and I use a prescription mouthwash.

I wish I knew how to get rid of this! It's ruining my self esteem! I have a boyfriend, a job, friends, all that jazz, but this had almost become an obsession. I'm so embarassed that everytime I open my mouth I am nervous that I'm spewing shit breath everywhere. Im pretty sure people dont want to mention it to me but i can smell it!! I can't even kiss my boyfriend anymore because I taste my breath so God only knows how bad it is for him! I have a dental cleaning Monday but I doubt that will cure it. Why have I gotten halitosis so abruptly?!? This is a very depressing affliction.

[hali_grl]

Hi Jen Welcome,

Have you taken antibiotics recently? I'm asking you this because I've always tried to pinpoint exactly why I got bb out of nowhere. The only thing I can think of is my prescribed antibiotic over-usage. It would be interesting if I wasn't the only one.

~Hali

[Jennxoxo]

No, haven't taken any antibiotics. I do take a whole slew of meds because I have a chronic pain condition called interstitial cystitis. But I've always had the same stuff, long before the bb. Back in late May I began having hormone issues, so I'm wondering If that had something to do with it, although Ive been tested and they say all my hormones are normal. Ugh! I never had this problem now it consumes me everyday!

[jess]

Welcome Jenn. I would advise you to start by doing everything you can to treat your periodontal disease and see where that leads you. Talk to your dentist or periodontist about how this is affecting your life and ask them to do a scaling and root planing (if you can afford it), which is when they go deep under the gum and clean it.

[ruch]

periodontal disease can def cause bad breath so get that fixed immediately, and it should eliminate or lessen the problem if that is your case of it. it's usually a huge factor anyway.

and just a regular cleaning won't get rid of it. find out what treatment your dentist proposes for periodontal disease.