How Do You Know You Haven't Got Bad Breath?

How Do You Know You Haven't Got Bad Breath?

Bonn, Germany (dpa) - If there is one thing guaranteed to keep people at their distance, it's bad breath. Few can stand it, but sufferers are usually completely unaware, and left wondering why they're avoided. Don't worry, though - help is at hand.

Once diagnosed, bad breath is in the majority of cases easy to treat. In 75 per cent of cases the smell arises from poor oral hygiene.

There is a way of finding out if your breath smells bad without having to call in outside help. "You run your tongue a couple of times over your wrist, let the saliva dry for 30 seconds and then smell it," reveals Benno Raddatz, a dentist from the southern German state of Badem-Wurttemburg. The same trick can be carried out using a cotton wool bud.

Bad breath, medically also refered to as halitosis or oral malodour, is caused by putrefactive bacteria whose purpose it is to break down protein in the mouth and throat and to dispose of dead mucosal cells. This process produces sulphur compounds, which accounts for the foul smell.

In total, around 300 strains of bacteria are to be found in the human mouth. In normal people bacterial decomposition occurs on too small a scale to produce a noticeable odour.

However, if oral hygiene is neglected, the bacteria are provided with a plentiful food supply and perfect conditions in which to multiply rapidly, thereby inflicting severe halitosis on their host. This process is fuelled above all by protein-rich food, such as fish and milk.

Anyone wishing to counter bad breath must embark on a programme of regular and thorough oral hygiene. "This should include the use of dental floss," advises Benno Raddatz. It should suffice to clean the gaps between the teeth
every other day. The teeth themselves should be cleaned at least twice a day. "This is a good opportunity to scrub the tongue as well," says Raddatz, "But another toothbrush should be used for that."

Brushing the tongue removes a coating which can otherwise attack the teeth. At first, the pressure on the tongue may induce the choke reflex in some more sensitive people. This passes, explains Raddatz, just as soon as they grow accustomed to cleaning their tongues. So-called tongue scrapers and other aids are available to remove the coating.

Claudia Spiegel, spokeswoman for the Information Committee on Oral Hygiene and Nutrition (IME), in Bonn, recommends the use of oral rinse as another means of combating bad breath.

If bad breath is already present, these products are only effective at disguising the symptoms, i.e. the smell itself. In these circumstances normal oral hygiene may no longer be able to get to the root of the problem. Then the real cause has to be tackled.

The cause of the condition may, for example, be the border of crowns. This being the case, they have to be removed by a dentist to prevent them trapping food particles, which can then accumulate. The rough surface of fillings may cause the same problem, in which case the filling must be smoothed down accordingly. Cleansing gum pockets can similarly be an effective treatment for bad breath.

Treating halitosis becomes more difficult when the cause is to be found other than in the mouth or throat. This may affect patients with kidney problems or with diseases of the urinary tracts which lead off from the kidneys. Infections of the upper respiratory tracts can likewise lead to oral malodour.

A special form of halitosis is known as smoker's breath. Some sufferers attempt to disguise their bad breath by smoking but are liable to generate another particular type of smell associated with tobacco smoke instead. This occurs when the sufferer breathes out tobacco compounds which have become trapped on the mucous membrane which goes to make up part of the upper respiratory tract.

Anyone who really wants to know for sure if he has bad breath should ask a person he trusts for an honest answer. Unfortunately patients cannot rely on their dentist to point out the condition as part of a routine check up.

Source: Digital Journal- http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/31580

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How Do You Know You Haven't Got Bad Breath?