Bad Breath

Bad breath, also called halitosis, comes mainly from eating certain foods or from the breakdown of food particles by bacteria inside our mouths.Everyone has experienced bad breath now and then. We eat a meal and then suffer with bad breath later. The instigators are sulfur compounds found in certain foods like garlic and cabbage. These sulfur compounds are the reason for bad breath.When we eat, sulfur compounds from foods are absorbed by our digestive systems. The sulfur compounds move from our digestive system into the bloodstream where they are carried to the lungs. Here our lungs expel the sulfur compounds by the air we exhale. Interesting is that many of these sulfur compounds are also excreted through sweat glands through the skin and in urine for hours.Another type of bad breath is the chronic type. This is where bad breath stays for a long time. The problem starts with bacteria. Over 170 different types of bacteria live in our mouth, and you wonder why you get bad breath.These bacteria feed on the food particles left on our teeth after meals. In turn these bacteria produce sulfur compounds (Volatile Sulfur Compounds -VSCs) which give breath its foul smell.Many of these bacteria cannot live with oxygen present. So they hide in places where oxygen can not reach - under plaque and food debris, in the spaces between the teeth and gums, and in the deep crevices of the tongue.The Tongue – Bacteria StorehouseAccording to recent research, bacteria which causes bad breath, can reside on the tongue - especially the back of the tongue. In fact, as much as 50 of the bacteria within the mouth can be found here.Because of this many countries have adopted the use a device called a tongue cleaner, or tongue scraper as it is some time called, to gently clean the tongue. Dentists finally realized the potential use of this instrument so are now just getting into this practice of providing this step as a procedure when treating patients in the United States.How Can You Tell If You Have Bad Breath?You cannot tell by yourself whether or not you have bad breath. Many people try cupping their hands to their nose to smell exhaled air. Others may try licking and then smelling their wrist.Unfortunately, these simply do not work. First, the body becomes accustomed to its own smells. As a result, you can't really tell if your breath is offensive or not. Secondly, much of the foul breath is created at the back of the mouth and is expelled outward only when we talk.So how can you tell if your breath offends? If you were to go to a dentist, he would use an instrument called a halimeter to measure the degree of your breath odor. You would blow into a straw like tube connected to the halimeter and the machine detects the levels of volatile sulfur compounds in the breath. The more volatile sulfur compounds measured by the machine the worst the breath.Periodontal Disease - A Cause of Bad BreathAnother reason for bad breath is periodontal disease. This is when the gums get inflamed and start bleeding. This is caused by food particles getting into the gums and bacteria forming there. The food particles get broken down and mix with bacteria to cause the infection.If you try: • Staying away from certain foods that are known to cause bad breath, • Removing bacteria and food particles by brushing your teeth and flossing, • Removing bacteria from the tongue, • Making sure that your mouth does not become too dry (maintaining saliva flow), and still have bad breath; you may want to see your dentist. This is because certain types of bacteria that cause bad breath in your mouth may be hiding in places you don't realize. Normally there is a small 1-3 mm space between your gums and teeth. This is known as the periodontal pocket. When pockets get to be 5mm or more they create deeper and more secluded hiding places for bacteria. These deep pockets often result from the breakdown of the gums caused by periodontal disease. If you have persistent bad breath, you should definitely see your dentist to find out if you have periodontal disease. Other symptoms of periodontal disease include: • Swollen or bleeding gums • Tender gums • Loosening and shifting teeth • Sensitive teeth • Pain upon chewingIf you have periodontal disease, your dentist can help you treat it and consequently treat the bad breath associated with it.Ways of treating bad breathSaliva - Nature's MouthwashWhile battling bad breath, don't forget the importance that saliva plays. It is actually our friend. A dry mouth represents the perfect environment for odor causing bacteria. Saliva acts as nature's mouthwash by keeping the mouth moist, washing away bacteria, and dissolving foul smelling volatile sulfur compounds. What causes our bad breath in the morning is the reduction in saliva flow that occurs when we sleep.How do you make sure you have an adequate flow of saliva in your mouth? The secret: drink water. Saliva flow increases when we eat or drink. Drinking water is a good way to stimulate the flow of saliva. The water will also help wash away food and bacteria.Placing a drop of lemon juice on the tip of your tongue or chewing sugarless gum are also effective ways to stimulate saliva flow. Even throwing a mint or breath freshening gum will work by stimulating saliva flow.What about OTC Mouthwashes?People think that using mouthwashes helps fight bad breath. What people don't realize is that many commercial mouthwashes are useless in eliminating chronic bad breath. Recent studies have reported that mouthwashes only temporarily mask the odor of bad breath for as little as 10 minutes after brushing. In fact, because they contain alcohol, mouthwashes can actually make the situation worse by drying out the mouth creating a more hospitable environment for odor causing bacteria.There is a new breed of mouthwashes that contains chlorine dioxide. They have been proven very effective in combating bad breath. These mouthwashes do not mask bad breath odor like conventional mouth washes. Instead, the chlorine dioxide in these rinses directly attacks the volatile sulfur compounds responsible for bad breath.Post-Nasal DripThe nose has a lot to do with bad breath. Thick mucus discharge resulting from colds, allergies, or the flu can collect on the back of the tongue. This mucus provides a place where bacteria can hide. Bacteria can also break down proteins in the mucus to create volatile sulfur particles.Using an over-the-counter nasal spray helps thin out post-nasal drip making it less useful to odor causing bacteria. Drinking water may also make mucus less viscous and therefore less likely to collect on the back of the tongue.DietTruth be told that as we grow older the stomach produces less digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes are also completely destroyed in all foods that are cooked. If digestive enzymes are lower than normal, lower digestive enzyme levels upset body pH balance causing us to be more acidic, thus more prone to disease and weight gain. Lower digestive enzymes can lead to excess gas formation and putrefaction in the intestines. This can lead to bad breath since those gases travel through the blood to the lungs and are exhaled.Many people have found that eliminating all dairy products helped with the control of bad breath odors. A few others have found the elimination of all soy products to help. Diary products can thicken mucous in the mouth and contribute to the anaerobic environment bacteria love.Smoking too can make bad breath worse. Smoking and chewing tobacco dry out the mouth and again produce adverse tissue dryness and plasma secretions which are broken down by bacteria into volatile organic compounds, thereby promoting bad breath.Bad breath can also occur in people who use prescription drugs, consume alcohol, and have certain types of diseases. Dry mouth can be caused by sinus congestion and nasal blockages. Rhinitus and nasal drainage also cause bad breath. These types of problems may require a physicians help but these products can still be of some help to these individuals.If you have bad breath how do you find out?There are four methods you can use to check to see if you have bad breath:1. Take a piece of un-flavored white dental floss and floss between your upper and lower back teeth. Look at the floss. Is it red or brown? Wait for about 45 seconds and smell it. Do you detect a bad odor?2. Next, take a clean washcloth and pull your tongue forward with one hand grasping the tongue with the washcloth. Take the other hand and using a clean white washcloth rub or scrape the furthest back portion of your tongue two or three times. Again, wait for about 45 seconds and smell the part you rubbed or scraped on the tongue. Does it have a bad smell?3. A third technique is to simply lick your tongue on your own clean wrist. Wait, then smell. This technique does not get back far enough on the tongue to be of best value but can be a quick test in a pinch for time.Having bad breath is embarrassing and restricts one socially from the crowd. There are ways to cure bad breath as shown above, in doing so you can stop the embarrassment of having someone approach you and tell you that you have bad breath.

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