Taking Bad Breath (Halitosis) Away

Taking Bad Breath (Halitosis) Away

ABOUT half the population suffers from halitosis at some time. BARBARA LANTIN looks at the causes and treatments for this embarrassing complaint...

Would you know if you had Bad Breath (halitosis) ? For many years, Amy Jones suspected her breath was not as sweet as it should be but even her nearest and dearest refused to give her a straight answer to the simple question: “Does my breath smell?”

“When I went up to somebody to speak to them, I noticed that they would often put their hand over their mouth or step back,” says Amy, 57, a healthcare manager from Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire.

“I began to suspect from people’s body language that I had bad breath but when I asked one of my friends, my sister and my niece they all laughed it off. On one occasion on a car journey, my friend kept feeding me fresh-breath mints. I asked if she was doing that because my breath was offensive but she made a joke of it. I wish people could have been honest with me.”

Bad breath can often be a result of gum disease or bacteria on the tongue

Amy was careful about her oral hygiene, making regular visits to the dentist and cleaning her teeth and tongue twice a day. She also sucked mints and chewed cloves, which she had been told can help combat mouth odour.

She even broached the subject with her doctor. “He was so embarrassed; he behaved as if I had asked him to take his clothes off,” she says. “He couldn’t look me in the eye.”

Over the years, Amy became less confident. “I became nervous to speak up in professional situations because I was worried about my breath, so I held back. For the same reason, I stopped going to dance classes. You have to get pretty close to your partner – some of the guys I danced with weren’t terribly friendly.”

Surveys suggest about half the population suffers from bad breath at some time. “A lot of dentists trivialise the problem, but patients tell me daily that it affects their every waking moment,” says Dr Phil Stemmer, a dentist who set up the Fresh Breath Centre, in central London, 12 years ago. “Halitosis damages confidence and undermines their professional, social and sex lives. I know of people who have barely left their homes because of their embarrassment and others who have attempted suicide.”

In nine out of 10 cases, the cause of bad breath is gum disease or bacteria located on the tongue. “Persistent bad breath is usually caused by smelly gases released by the bacteria that coat your teeth and gums,” says dentist Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF).

“Bits of food that get caught between the teeth and on the tongue will rot and can sometimes cause a deeply unpleasant smell. Bad breath can also be caused by medical problems. Dry mouth – xerostomia – affects the flow of saliva, which causes bacteria to build up in the mouth, leading to bad breath. It can be caused by some medicines, salivary gland problems, or by continually breathing through the mouth, instead of the nose.

”Other medical conditions that can cause halitosis include throat, nose or lung infections, sinusitis, bronchitis, diabetes, liver or kidney problems or digestive disorders that push stomach acid and gas back up into the throat.

"Smokers and older people are more likely to have bad breath, partly because they are more at risk of gum disease.

Research from Tel Aviv University suggests high alcohol consumption and obesity are also linked to halitosis. If you think you have bad breath, lick the inside of your wrist and sniff: if the smell is unpleasant, it is likely your breath will be, too.

Amy Jones’s fears were confirmed by a visit to the Fresh Breath Centre last year. At her first appointment, Dr Stemmer took a scraping from her tongue and asked her to smell the result. “It was not too pleasant,” says Amy.

“He showed me bacteria moving under the microscope, which was rather shocking. I had a gum infection at the back of my mouth.”

Dr Stemmer referred Amy to one of his hygienists. She was shown how to clean and floss her teeth properly and to rinse her mouth with an oil-based, herbal wash. She was also given a tongue manicure, combing the tongue with a non-abrasive scraper.

Although many products claim to fight bad breath, few have been proven to work. The British Medical Journal website BestTreatments.co.uk advises the use of anti-bacterial mouthwash for two to four weeks. Mastic gum made from the natural resin of the pistacia lentiscus tree, as well as chewing gum containing magnolia, have also both been shown in small trials to reduce oral bacteria.

To prevent bad breath, the BDHF recommends regular dentist visits, brushing teeth and gums twice per day with a fluoride toothbrush, flossing at least once a day, using a mouthwash and chewing sugar-free gum to prevent the mouth drying out. One study has shown tongue scrapers are more effective than brushing at reducing halitosis.

Amy now spends up to 20 minutes a night at home on her new oral hygiene regime, including cleaning her tongue with a dessert spoon. She also drinks more water and has cut down on coffee, which can thicken saliva and provide a breeding ground for bacteria.

“People don’t back away when I stand near them now. I feel more confident and don’t have a problem speaking up close.”

Amy now plans to dance again, learning the salsa. She says: “I look forward to seeing how dance partners respond.”

Source: UK Daily Express - http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/42099

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Taking Bad Breath (Halitosis) Away