Change your breath from bad to good

November 17, 2008 | Posted by admin

Here is a saying that goes…Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so bad breath is in the nose of the receiver!

Halitosis, bad breath, or foetor oris (stench of the mouth) is an age-old and universal problem. Nowadays it is called oral malodour. But halitosis by any other name still smells as foul and creates a social problem.

Oral malodour is caused by nasty-smelling chemicals, such as hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) and methyl mercaptan (CH₃SH). These substances are by-products of protein breakdown by bacteria. In about 85% of cases, the malodour originates in the mouth. The commonest sources are the spaces between the teeth, around the gum margins, and at the back of the tongue.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Here are three common causes of bad breath:

• foods and drinks, such as garlic, onions, cheese, orange juice, and soda
• poor dental hygiene, meaning you don’t brush and floss as you should
• smoking and other tobacco use

Other food categories that will result in an increase of sulfur production because these categories have a stimulating affect on the bacteria that cause bad breath:

• Drying Agents

Beverages such as beer, wine, and hard liquor. Mouthwashes you find in grocery store, which only makes a bad breath problem worse. Smoking although not a food but is the quickest way to dry your mouth.

• Dense Protein Foods

Dairy food is notorious for creating bad breath. The buildup of amino acids that are converted into volatile sulfur compounds by the anaerobic bacteria found within the surface of your tongue and throat. Eg: milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc.

• Sugars

Using concentrated mint flavorings, your taste buds pick up mint as a taste. Stay away from candies, mints, and chewing gum if they contain sugar instead find a product that contain Xylitol, which is a natural sweetening agent with anti-decay compound.

• Acidic Foods

Foods with a high acidic content are a problem as well. pH is a term used to describe the acidity of an environment. The oral cavity has a normal pH of 6.5 (7 is considered neutral).Some of the foods you should watch out for are coffee and many citrus juices. Among the citrus juices the ones with the highest acidic content include tomato juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, and grapefruit juice.

Poor oral hygiene leads to bad breath because when you leave food particles in your mouth, these pieces of food can rot and start to smell. The food particles may begin to collect bacteria, which can be smelly, too. Plus, by not brushing your teeth regularly, plaque (a sticky, colorless film) builds up on your teeth. Plaque is a great place for bacteria to live and yet another reason why breath can turn foul.

Is bad breath curable or only preventable?

The words “cure” and “prevent” are commonly interchanged when describing bad breath remedies; however, the premise remains the same. Bad breath is both curable and preventable.

Bad breath is curable, because once you adopt an effective bad breath prevention regimen; your bad breath problem will disappear. Bad breath is also preventable, because your bad breath problem will not return if you continue applying your regimen.

Modern Technology to Treat Bad Breath

A new portable sulfide monitor called the Halimeter is being used widely to test for levels of sulfur emissions in the mouth air. Halimeter was introduced in the early 1990s as an adjunct method for determining halitosis levels, alongside human assessment of odor levels.

The advantages of using a Halimeter for a study rather than a gas chromatograph are that a Halimeter requires no special training to use, is portable, breath measurements can be made quickly, and the apparatus itself is comparatively inexpensive.

Categories: Oral Hygiene | Tags: foetor oris, halimeter, oral malodour, xylitol | 4 Comments »

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