Bad Breath

Halitosis (Bad Breath) has been defined as offensive breath, or malodor breath.

Bad breath is caused by Anaerobic (oxygen hating) Sulfur Producing, helpful bacteria, which normally live at back portion of  tongue. These bacteria are normal inhabitant of mouth. They help for digesting proteins.

Proteins are made up of Amino Acids and two of them (Cysteine and Methionine) are full of sulfur. Hydrogen Sulfide, Methyl Mercaptan, and other odor producing and "foul-tasting" compounds, which are referred to as volatile sulfur compounds, are released due to proteins break down by these helpful bacteria.

Tongue cleaning, mouth rinses, antibiotic therapy or toothpastes or so called bad breath remedies do not enable to remove those bacteria. People suffering from Bad Breath are found to have an overabundance of these particular bacteria. Researches  reveal that genetics, hormonal changes, and medications such as sulfa-type antibiotics responsible for outnumber growth of bacteria.

Causes of Bad Breath

• Foods such as dairy products, fish, coffee, garlic, onion, durian, …
• Post Nasal drip: Nasal mucous contains sulfur containing amino acids.
• Dry mouth: helpful bacteria hate oxygen, natural component of saliva. Dry mouth, which is mostly caused by some medications, antihistamines, alcoholic beverages, alcoholic mouthwashes, create the perfect environment for the bacteria to produce more sulfur.
• Desquamated tissue cells: your body sheds tissues within your mouth and the bacteria break down the amino acids within these desquamated tissue cells, producing bad oder sulfur products and help to forming white coat of tongue.
• Poor Oral Hygiene: Bacterial metabolism of food debries produce hydrogen sulfide vapores.
• Periodontal (gum) disease
• Tooth decay and Denture: dentures should be cleaned regularly and fit properly. denture odor can be detected by placing the dentures in a plastic bag for several minutes then open and smell.
• Abscesses in oral cavity
• Extensive dental restorations
• Medications
• Alcohol and abuse of it
• Tobacco smoking
• Starvation: metabolic breakdown of fats and proteins produce sulfur that is excreted by lungs.
• Respiratory disease: neoplasm, infection
• Gastrointestinal disease: Gastric distress, which symptoms are heartburn, stomach gas, spontaneous noninfectious laryngitis, cause oral malodor.  More serious gastric diseases such as: malabsorption syndromes, gastric carcinomas, enteric infections and ulcers that can cause malodor too.
• Tonsillary: Tonsillary crypts which are deep grooves and convolusions of the tonsils can develop concretions usually in several millimeters in diameter, yellowish or white in color, rough edges, with a foul odor.

Treatment of Bad Breath

• Brush and floss your teeth and tongue regularly after every meal and drinking of red wine, coffee, etc to keep your mouth clean.
• Visit your dentist to rule out oral cavity disease.
• Drink plenty of water and chew sugarless gum to keep your mouth moist.
• Food such as lemon, orange, apple, peppermint, parsley, Summer savory, carrot and celery freshen the breath.
• Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash kill bacteria and help oral health.