Bad breath, or halitosis, is a condition wherein the person
suffering from it experiences bad odor from his/ her mouth. It is a
common cause for embarrassment and many adults suffer from it time and
again while some of them experience it on a regular basis.
Bad
breath, sometimes called halitosis, may have its origin from the mouth
or from other organ systems such as the lungs or the stomach and in some
cases from the throat areas. It can also be caused due to some
illnesses such as common cold, tonsillitis, or throat infections. Smells
that originate from the mouth are due to the accumulation of anaerobic
bacteria as a result of drying of the mouth (xerostomia), the intake of
certain drugs that may induce xerostomia, tooth and gum problems and
occasionally due to poor oral hygiene.
The accumulated bacteria
flourishes in a state of lack of oxygen and act on food debris gathered
at that site and release volatile sulfur compounds such as hydrogen
sulfide (that smells like rotten eggs), methyl mercaptan and dimethyl
sulfide ( that smell like rotten vegetables) and cause foul odor from
the mouth.
To treat halitosis arising out of the mouth, the
conditions that are causing the accumulation of the bacteria should be
treated. If the condition is attributed to conditions such as
xerostomia, flow of saliva is improved by the use of lozenges and in
extreme cases by the use of a salivary substitute.
If the
bacterial accumulation is due to teeth or gum problems, the correction
of the underlying cause reduces the occurrence of bad breath. The
dentist treats the decay with corrections such as fillings or crowns
that prevent further accumulation of food and bacteria at that site.
Likewise, the correction of gum problems by proper treatment methods
will help reduce the condition and thus reduce halitosis. The dentist
may also undertake the irrigation of the gum areas with antiseptics such
as hydrogen peroxide to reduce bacterial accumulation and thus treat
the problem.
On the other hand, if this is caused due to poor oral
hygiene, better hygiene methods should be followed to reduce it.
Proper tooth brushing, flossing, cleaning the tongue and rinsing the
mouth with some mouthwash are some of the hygiene methods to be followed
to reduce bacterial and food accumulation. In some cases, an extreme
cleaning will do the trick.
Care has to be taken in changing the
brush frequently and to store it properly in order to prevent bacterial
buildup on it. Some people have the habit of storing the brush in
substances such as hydrogen peroxide to help in preventing the
accumulation of bacteria that causes it. This is also used as a
mouthwash to help reduce the bacteria responsible for bad breath
Hydrogen peroxide acts by releasing oxygen and killing the bacteria and
thus reducing the problems you will face.
This is used in a
diluted form and gargled in the mouth for around 45 seconds. This use of
hydrogen peroxide acts as a temporary measure. It is very important to
remember that the continuous use of hydrogen peroxide as a measure to
reduce bad breath may be harmful for the teeth. So it should be used
with regular breaks in between to avoid causing undue harm.
This,
when used to kill bad breath leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth
that can be reduced by the use of some other commercially available
mouthwash.
By
Richard Wilkins
