Bad breath is an embarrassing problem. Many of us would have suffered from bad breath at some point in our lives.
Bad breath is usually caused by the breakdown of proteins by bacteria somewhere in the mouth. Bad breath is not contagious, meaning you cannot catch it from someone else. Chronic bad breath is known as halitosis and does not come from the stomach. The only odor that comes from the stomach is when you burp. Food such as garlic and spicy foods once absorbed into the body can release odor through the lungs when you breathe. Food odors are transitory and should not be confused with bad breath. The human sense of smell has the ability to adjust to odor. Therefore, most people with halitosis are not aware of their bad breath.
Research has shown that most bad breath originates from the mouth. It is mostly from the surface of the tongue, below the gum line, between the teeth and other hard to reach areas in the mouth. The mouth is home to a lot of bacteria and the balance between these different kinds of bacteria will determine the quality of our breath. This odor causing bacteria in our mouths are anaerobic, meaning that they cannot live in the presence of oxygen.
These anaerobic bacteria reside on the surface of the tongue, inhabiting between the papillae of the tongue where oxygen are deficient. These kinds of bacteria cannot be completely removed with a tongue scaper and will re-colonize in the mouth following antibodies therapy. These naturally occurring bacteria feeds on proteins and produces a by-product called volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) which is the cause of bad breath.
All of us have some level of VSC present in our mouths, but when the level is low, odor is not produced. When levels of VSC are high, it produces odor that causes bad breath. You should also be aware that halitosis is rarely caused by certain medical conditions.
Follow the 5 easy steps below and test your breath and find out do you have bad breath:
1. Lick the back of your hand. Let it dry for a few seconds and then smell. If you notice and odor, you have a breath disorder.
2. Place dental floss between your back teeth and then smell the floss.
3. While looking at the mirror, grab the tip of your tongue with a Kleenex and pull it out as far you can. If you see that the very back of your tongue is whitish in color, it may be a sign that you have bad breath.
4. Ask the opinion of someone you can trust. Check your breath several times daily because your breath changes throughout the day.
5. Professional use of a Halimeter will measures the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) in the mouth.
Bad breaths are in most cases caused by problems in the mouth. Often a visit to your dentist will solve the problem. If dental treatments are required to eliminate the odor it could be painful and expensive because you may require several visits. And of course not all of us are that comfortable in the dentist chair.
If no oral cause of your bad breath can be identified by you dentist, you may need too seek a specialist in breath odor or visit other health professionals. This can also be expensive too.
Here are some DIY Halitosis treatments for you:
(Please note: These are only suggestions and are not guaranteed to work)
* At all times maintain a high level of oral and dental hygiene. In addition to brushing, it is important to clean between the teeth using dental floss, toothpicks or an inter-dental brush as recommended by your dentist or pharmacist.
* Use a tongue cleaner and clean right to the back of the tongue.
* Use a mouthwash is recommended. The best time to use it is just before sleeping.
* Drink plenty of fluids, avoiding too much coffee and alcohol.
* Clean your mouth after eating dairy products, fish and meat.
* Chew sugar-free gum, especially if your mouth feels dry.
