Guide to Preventing and Treating Halitosis

Who would want to be ignored by their friends because of bad breath? An estimated 25% of people suffer from bad breath. Having this condition can really ruin you and might lose you some friends or people to talk to. If you suffer from halitosis, this can be very embarrassing and often hard to recognize since it is very hard to smell your own breath.

Bad breath, or medically known as halitosis, isn’t something that you should ignore. This condition is caused by a lot of things. Practicing good oral hygiene can reduce or eliminate this condition. If you think you have this medical condition, this article will help you provide knowledge about this oral problem.

What Causes It?

Having bad breath can be because of a lot of things. These include:

Food

After eating your meal, breakdowns of food particles which get stuck on your teeth can cause some bad odors. After being digested, the breakdown products of the food you eat are carried in the blood going to the lungs, where they can affect your breath.

Poor Dental Hygiene

When you brush or floss your teeth, this can cause the small particles of food which builds up and breaks down producing the odor, removed. If not brushing regularly, a film of bacteria could build up in your teeth, called plaque, which can irritate the gums and cause inflammation between your teeth and gums.

Drugs

There are some medications which can increase the bad odor since they reduce the saliva. Some drugs also produce bad odors when they breakdown and release the chemicals in the breath.

Smoking

Smoking also causes bad breath since smoking products can dry your mouth, and also leave their own odor on your breath. Smokers have a great chance of developing gum disease, which then adds to halitosis.

Diseases

Some metabolic diseases can also cause halitosis. This is because of the specific mixes of chemicals which they produce.

Symptoms of Bad Breath

The only way to know if you have bad breath depends on the smell of your breath. Depending on the cause of the problem, the specific odor of the breath can vary. It can be difficult to assess it yourself, but if you don’t have the courage to ask someone if you have bad breath, you can try licking your wrist, and when it’s dry, smell it. If you smell something bad on the area of your wrist, it is likely that you have halitosis.

How to Prevent Bad Breath?

There are certain home remedies which can help you whether you want to eliminate or prevent having bad breath. These includes:

Brush the teeth

Always remember to brush your teeth at least twice a day, morning and evening. But dentists recommend that it should be after each meal you eat.

Brush Your Tongue

Bacteria, food and dead cells commonly build-up on the tongue. This is common especially to people who smoke or those with dry mouth. So, it’s important to include your tongue every time you brush.

Floss

After brushing your teeth, floss. It can help reduce the build-up of food particles and plaque which are stuck from between your teeth. This should be done after brushing, since brushing only cleans around 60 percent of the surface of your tooth.

Avoid having dry mouth

To avoid having bad breath, it is important that you also avoid having dry mouth, since it is one of the causes. To help stimulate the production of saliva, you can chew gum.

Use mouthwash

Mouthwash provides a temporary way in order to mask bad breath. However, this does not treat the underlying cause of the condition.

Diet

Watch what you eat. Avoid food which can add to bad breath, including onions, garlic, spicy and sugary food. Reduce also alcohol and coffee consumption.

Halitosis Diagnosis

Your dentist should take your complete medical and dental history and will also rate the odor of your breath on a six-point intensity scale. There are detectors which can rate this odor more precisely, such as:

Halimeter

This instrument detects low levels of sulfur from your mouth.

BANA Test

This instrument measures the levels of a specific enzyme which is produced by halitosis-causing bacteria.

Gas Chromatography

This instrument tests three volatile sulfur compounds such as Hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethyl sulfide.

Beta-galactosidase Test

Product

Visual

Where to Buy

Dental Probiotic

TheraBreath Oral Rinse

CloSYS Mouthwash

Dr. Tungs Tongue Cleaner

Thera Breath Toothpaste

OralWellness Mouthwash

TUNG Tongue Cleaner

Probiotic Charcoal Toothpaste

Halitosis BM

This instrument tests the levels of the enzyme beta-galactosidase, which have been found to correlate with the mouth odor.

If you suffer from halitosis, or if you just want to prevent having this embarrassing condition, here are some products available on the market today which can help you: