Bad Breath
Bad breath is simply one of the subjects that people are most uncomfortable talking about. Bad breath is also referred to as Halitosis (Malodour)
Everyone, at one time or another has been conscious of the fact that they may have breath that could be offensive to others around them. For example: you are talking to a colleague when you suddenly notice that she is maintaining a distance, her nostrils are twitching and she is trying to turn her head away from you. Curious, you move closer to continue the conversation when it dawns on you that the reason for your colleague’s reaction is that you have rancid breath. These situations in life do occur and it is an all-too-common social problem called Halitosis. Of all of the nonfatal maladies that afflict the human body, having bad breath is often one of the most common and embarrassing problems.
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Most people will agree that the “number one” turnoff in social situations is... you guessed it... bad breath. A person with halitosis is rarely aware of the fact that his breath is bad. People cannot detect their own mouth odour even when they exhale against their hand to test and smell the level of the odour. Self-tests simply do not work. People usually become aware that they have bad breath when they notice people are avoiding them or when someone simply garners enough courage to tell them so. It is an uncomfortable situation for everyone, but it does happen.
Sources and Causes:
Approximately 90% of people who suffer from some form of halitosis have an oral condition as the source. If a person has healthy teeth and gums (i.e. neither cavities, periodontitis, gingivitis, pyorrhea nor abscesses), the next most common source of oral malodour is from the tongue. Bacteria that produce Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs) are known to congregate on the tongue, especially the far back areas. Saliva from nearby glands travels down the tongue, which is full of pits and crevices where bacteria love to gather together. The anaerobic bacteria (the bacteria that thrive without need of oxygen) that reside on the tongue break down specific components (amino acids) of the saliva creating certain gases or VSCs. These VSCs have been implicated as a major contributing factor to halitosis. Other contributing oral factors include inflammatory conditions, oral cancer, oral candidacies and xerostomia (dry mouth).
Nasal and sinus problems, including foreign bodies inserted in the nose and neglected for a period of time, can be sources of problems. Recurring tonsillar infections, diabetes, sinusitis, emphysema, infections of the oropharynx, pulmonary diseases (such as bronchitis and pneumonia), stomach infection and gastrointestinal problems are all possible contributing factors to halitosis. Certain systemic diseases also produce particular offensive odours. A few of these relationships include liver failure producing a rotten egg smell, diabetes producing a sweet smell, intestinal dysfunction producing a heavy sour breath and scarlet or typhoid fever producing a musty smell. There is a rotten and fishy odour associated with chronic renal or kidney failure. Some medications can cause or exacerbate bad breath. Carcinomas can also cause bad breath.
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Foods and other substances which often cause or contribute to halitosis are: garlic, raw onions, cabbage, horse radish, eggs, broccoli, brussel sprouts, fish, red meat, peppers, coffee, alcohol and cigarettes. However, halitosis can occur even if your diet does not include the above named foods because the basic cause for halitosis is always present in the human mouth; bacteria in your mouth decomposing any food type resulting in evil smelling putrefaction products.
Stress or nervous tension cany enhance halitosis. In fact, there seems to be a stress related component to most cases of halitosis. A major effect of stress is the drying of the oral cavity tissues. Stress also aggravates the fulsome odour in other subtle ways . If you have lived through a stressful or unpleasant experience you may have noticed that a case of bad breath also accompanied the ordeal. It is not uncommon for a person to develop bad breath during airplane trips then having the bad breath promptly reduce or vanish after a safe arrival.
Having to give a speech, take an examination or endure some other stress-inducing situation may also bring about an oral problem. In general, monitor your emotional state for clues indicating bad breath. Some women develop a distinctive and mousy odour in their breath associated with menstruation. Having to give a speech, take an examination or endure some other stress-inducing situation may also bring about an oral malady. In general, monitor your emotional state for clues indicating bad breath.
Defeating Bad Breath
Step 1: Brushing
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First, brush to remove food particles. This is an daily necessity. Always brush your teeth before going to bed and in the morning. This cleaning before bed is especially important due to reduced saliva flow while you sleep. When you are attacking halitosis, there are a few more steps in addition to brushing that have to be taken in order to ensure all the odour causing sources will be eliminated. We recommend you brush with a soft-bristle toothbrush
Step 2: Flossing
Most people do not floss on a regular basis. People find it too time consuming or awkward. Flossing can become habit-forming and flossing is a great way to maintain your teeth and gums where the toothbrush cannot reach. Cleaning between your teeth with floss or other interdental cleaners removes bacteria and food from between the teeth. Daily brushing and flossing can often reverse early gum disease. Ask your Dental Hygienist which floss is best for you.
Step 3: Scraping
Tongue scraping is becoming more popular. Tests show the removal of foul smelling debris and plaque from the tongue results in a major reduction of foul smelling oral cavity gases. Our specially designed Tongue Scraper is shaped to reach the very back of the tongue minimizing triggering the gagging reflex.
Here are some helpful hints for teaching yourself how to scrape your tongue:
1. Using a bathroom mirror, protrude your tongue as if your dentist is about to do an examination.
2. Insert the scraping edge of the tongue scraper as far as you can back onto the tongue.
3. While pressing with moderate pressure, pull the scraping edge of the scraper forward on your tongue and bring it right up to and off of the tip of the tongue. The scraper edge is going to pick up a lot of saliva and debris so it is a good idea to do this exercise over a sink.
4. Repeat this procedure several times changing the area of the tongue you are scraping. If you have not scraped before, your tongue may feel a peculiar sensation of dryness.
5. Rinse the scraper off in between uses.
Step 4: Rinsing
Halitosis Rinse
Typical market rinses are not formulated specifically for treatment of halitosis. The alcohol, usually 20%, is bad for oral tissue. Alcohol is known to dry out / de-fat the soft tissue of the mouth. In many instances, these alcohol-based mouthwashes actually contribute to bad breath. How? Alcohol based mouth washes will kill bacteria and cellular lining of the mouth with which it immediately comes into contact. The freshly killed bacteria and cells will now start to decompose and this decomposition will contribute additional foul smelling gases in addition to those that were already present.
Rinsing will be most effective if you clear away as much debris in your mouth as possible. Once cleaned, the rinse has full access to all areas in between teeth and along the gum line. The more debris you can floss, brush or scrape out of the way, the rinse will be that much more effective. This debris would otherwise inhibit the rinse from its full effective power of neutralizing VSCs on the tongue.
Rinse Effectiveness
Our Step 4 rinse is formulated with the leading compounds that are known to suppress plaque forming bacteria and sulphur compounds that contribute to halitosis. Several ingredients such as Chlorine Dioxide and Zinc Acetate work to destroy halitosis. There are some characteristics of the formulation in Step 4 that makes it a very different rinse than other brands. First, Step 4 is lasting and continues the fight against bacteria after you have expectorated the rinse. Secondly, Step 4 is alcohol free, thus the negative effects of alcohol are absent when using Step 4. Thirdly, powerful Step 4 is mild tasting with no unpleasant aftertaste because Sodium Saccharine is not the key sweetener. The all-natural Xylitol provides a cool, sweet sensation that lasts a long time and yet helps to control the bacteria that leads to cavities.
