Halitosis

Halitosis is the technical word for something we don't normally like to say aloud - "bad breath". It's an embarrassing problem, and the scary thing is that often you don't know you have it. Mind you there are telltale signs, such as people turning their head away from your face as you talk, or putting their hand up to their face (so as to avoid the smell). Yes it's horrible. I'm not sure which would be worse, having it and not knowing, or having to tell someone that they have it - that's really hard to do.

So what causes it?

The official reason for bad breath is that it is caused by either a chemical compound, or a series of chemical compounds in the human body, which creates a terrible odour. There are various reasons why these chemical compound /s are produced. They are:

- Decaying teeth - this can be quickly resolved by a visit to your dentist, and the cavity or cavities filled.

- Decaying material around the surface of the tooth, or within the gum line - this can produce a nasty smell from bacteria. This can be prevented or fixed by good dental hygiene, by brushing and flossing regularly (brush twice a day). Make sure you brush your gums gently. It can also help to brush your tongue.

Gingivitis - this is a disease of the gums. It can be resolved by either changing your dental hygiene routine by flossing once a day, brushing twice a day, and using a mouth wash specifically for the treatment of dental problems such as this. Use the mouthwash twice daily. Just check on the back of the bottle for instructions, as some of these mouthwashes can cause the teeth to yellow if used long term. It is a legal requirement for them to tell you if they do. Mouthwashes containing chlorhexadeine will have this effect.

Infections of the sinuses, or upper respiratory tract (throat & upper lungs) - these are usually short-term conditions and should resolve by themselves. If they are bacterial infections you may need antibiotics. If the infection is viral, antibiotics are useless (antibiotics do not work for viruses) and you will just have to wait it out.

Infections of the tonsils and / or adenoids - this may only occur several times in your life and you may need antibiotics to reduce the severity of the infection. However if this is a chronic problem, you may need to discuss the option of having them removed. Although this kind of surgery is not recommended, for those who have chronic problems with their tonsils and adenoids, sometimes it is a valid option.

The stomach - sometimes halitosis can be a result of gases coming up from the intestines. Peppermint tea and peppermint capsules can help resolve this.

Smells such as garlic and onion actually are a result of the intestines digesting them, and the smell then comes back the next day from the blood stream, through your lungs, so that when you exhale the smell is on your breath (not because it has stayed in your mouth). Chewing on parsley is a helpful way to reduce this problem, along with using peppermint tea and peppermint capsules. Other than that, if you love foods containing garlic and onion, who cares what anyone thinks, both foods are good for you!

Morning Breath - this is due to a reduction of saliva overnight. Saliva helps to reduce mouth odours. Morning breath can also be a result of food particles from the night before, which overnight can breed bacteria; so make sure you brush your teeth before sleep.

In general, halitosis can be fixed by good dental hygiene. Chewing sugar free gum is also helpful, as it stimulates the production of saliva and saliva is extremely helpful in cleaning the mouth.


- Louise Ganey