Bad Breath (Halitosis)

More than 90 million people suffer from chronic Halitosis or bad breath. In most cases it originates from the gums and tongue. The odor is caused by bacteria from the decay of food particles, other debris in your mouth, and poor oral hygiene. The decay and debris produce a sulfur compound that causes the unpleasant odor.

TREATMENT

Bacteria thrive on food particles on our teeth to create Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs), which cause bad breath. At least 2 minutes of brushing is necessary to properly clean all tooth surfaces. In addition 30% of the surfaces of our teeth is not cleanable with a brush. This makes flossing absolutely critical!Halitosis Toothpaste, Non-alcoholic Sulfur reducing mouth rinses (Listerine is a no-no), sugar free chewing gum and breath mints.Anaerobic bacteria thrive in the fissures and mucous layer of the tongue, sometimes creating a visible whitish layer. They live safe from oxygen under a protective layer of mucous, food particles and proteins . Tongue cleaners can remove this layer and much of the bacteria which resides on your tongue. One of the easiest and most efficient treatments for halitosis is mechanical debridement. This means thorough, regular flossing and brushing of your teeth and your tongue. A tongue scraper can be very helpful as well. When using a tongue scraper, it is best to clean as far back on the tongue as possible, starting from the back and moving toward the front. This scraping motion is done several times in row. Keeping hydrated allows proper salivary flow to help rinse and flush out unwanted bacteria. Effective oral rinses must eliminate the problematic bacteria while maintaining the balance of normal bacteria in the oral environment. The assorted types of rinses being developed and marketed contain quaternary ammonium, zinc, chlorhexidine (already in use to help treat periodontitis), chlorine dioxide, or triclosan. Chlorhexidine and chlorine dioxide rinses have received the most press lately. Because chlorhexidine is such a strong antimicrobial rinse, it is advised to only use this type of rinse as a short-term adjunct for treatment. At present, chlorine dioxide can be used on a long-term basis, although some researchers do question its safety. In lab experiments, chlorine dioxide has been shown to be effective by breaking the sulfide bonds in VSCs, but this finding has not yet been substantiated using live subjects .Chlorine dioxide neutralizes the sulfur compounds which cause bad breath. A majority of mouth rinses contain alcohol, which actually dries out the mouth and can end up contributing to halitosis.

In the interest of better oral health,

Dr. GJA Belsito BSc,DDS,FAGD,FACI,FACD,Cert. IV sedation / Belsitodental.com

519.258.1240