Bad Breath — What to Do?
Halitosis (Bad Breath)

By Sheila Wolf, RDH

(HealthNewsDigest.com)...Everyone has bad breath from time to time. Onions, garlic, spicy foods, cigarettes and coffee are some of the offenders. And then there's morning breath. Remember that mouthwash commercial on TV showing two lovers waking up, looking lovingly at each other for only an instant, then turning their heads, covering their mouths, and muttering "good morning" without breathing in each other's face?

This concern over bad breath can have many social consequences. It can actually impinge on one's quality of life. Whether at a job interview or climbing the corporate ladder, going on a first date or bumping into an old friend, the fear of offending is pervasive. There is so much concern about bad breath that, in the United States alone, it has become an eight hundred fifty-million dollar business for mouthwash companies. Too bad that mouthwash, rinses, sprays and mints are only a temporary relief. Much like perfume sprayed over smelly armpits, mouthwashes are largely ineffective because they don't really get to the heart of the problem.

What is the problem?

Some people believe that bad breath originates from the stomach. This is generally not so. The stomach is basically a closed system, a tube going in one direction (except for occasional burping or vomiting). Eighty to ninety percent of all bad breath comes from the oral cavity, specifically from bacteria — in the crevices between your teeth, below puffy gum "pockets," from post-nasal drip, and from the nooks and crannies of your tongue.

All these areas are very fertile breeding grounds for bacteria to hide and multiply. When bacteria become so rampant and cause infection, the byproducts, Volatile Sulfur Compounds, smell like something died right inside your mouth. Infections from around your teeth and gums (periodontal) are nasty for your health and put you in danger for serious whole-body problems, including heart attack, stroke and even adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Since there are over 500 different types of microorganisms lurking in your mouth, just mechanically brushing your teeth is not enough. If it were, 75% of the population wouldn't have gum infections. You must think of eliminating the harmful bacteria from the mouth through chemical means as well as mechanical. In my book Pregnancy and Oral Health, I recommend using a simple homemade toothpaste that I call "Magic Mix." It consists of baking soda, salt and hydrogen peroxide. Brushing along the gum line once a day for two minutes with these chemicals, and using floss, toothpicks, or tiny brushes between the teeth, will devastate the invaders that cause the damage. I also advise using an irrigator such as a Water-pik, which can deliver a jet of potent antibacterial solution into hard-to-reach areas and under the gum line. It is no longer about just cleaning your teeth. It is about disinfecting or debugging your mouth.

Now, take a peek at your tongue in the mirror. See if it has a white or yellowish coating on it. The thicker the layer, the longer it has been there and the more severe or chronic the malodor problem. Because the tongue contains tiny irregularities, like taste buds, there are plenty of hiding places for the bacteria to flourish. There they produce the sulfur compounds from the foods we eat, from bacterial waste products and from skin cells that slough off in the course of daily living. If these VSCs are undisturbed or not "oxygenated" they will create the odor of chronic halitosis.

The easiest and most effective way to clean your tongue is with a toothbrush, a small spoon, a popsicle stick or a specially designed tool — the tongue scraper. The technique is simple. Stick out your tongue, place the scraper as far back on your tongue as you can without gagging yourself, then pull forward with a light to moderate pressure. You never want to have your tongue bleed. Be gentle yet firm. It takes just a few seconds to do and it is such a valuable technique for eliminating those bad breath germs from the surface of your tongue. Followed by pleasant-tasting toothpaste, I think you might be ready for a kiss.

This article originally appeared in HealthNewsDigest.com (http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/hlth_badbreath-15.html)

Mama Gums