Bad Breath Product
A trip to a community pharmacy or a quick Google of the internet will quickly reveal the truth: there are myriad types of bad breath product on the market today and they all claim to be the answer to halitosis. A savvy consumer has to spend some time and do a little research to find out what, if anything, is really likely to help. Fortunately, there is more information, and more professional help available than ever before.
First, understanding where the bad smell is coming from will help to understand how to treat bad breath. To put it simply, most cases of stubborn halitosis are caused by volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) produced by bacteria living primarily on the back of the tongue. These bacteria are anaerobes, that is, they live where there is no oxygen. As a by product of their metabolic processes, they release VSC into the air and you exhale them in your breath. It's likely that everybody has some of these bacteria living in their mouth, but some people obviously have more than others. An effective bad breath product will get rid of large numbers of these VSC-producing bacteria somehow.
This is not really news: we realized that bacteria have something to do with halitosis a long time ago, and mouthwashes formulated to treat bad breath have long contained antibacterial substances. The trouble is that even when the antibacterial ingredient is effective, it doesn't always reach the bacteria - it only kills some of them, and they multiply quickly enough that bacterial populations in the mouth return to high levels very quickly. The fact that halitosis tends to be chronic has inspired new types of bad breath product, and caused people to dig into the causes of bad breath even more deeply - why do some people have so many VSC-producing anaerobes in the first place?
There are probably a number of different situations that lead to proliferation of anaerobes in the mouth. Poor oral hygiene is the most obvious but this probably not as common as most of us believe. Some underlying health problems can be to blame, as can gum disease, post nasal drip and sinus problems. For some people, however, the underlying cause remains elusive. In many cases, diet and lifestyle may be the answer. There's still a lot we don't know, but the good news is that today there is more research investigating how to best treat bad breath. There is also a greater variety of bad breath product backed by research and experience that can be used to treat a persistent case of halitosis.
Read the information provided with any potential bad breath product to see whether its activity is aimed at reducing the numbers of bacteria that cause bad breath. Choose a product whose approach makes sense to you and use as directed. If you're not happy with the results, try something different. And see if you can identify the root cause of your halitosis. If you can get rid of those anaerobes permanently, you won't have to continually treat bad breath.
R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. She is a contributing editor to Bad Breath Products, a blog dedicated to the treatment of bad breath.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Bad Breath Symptoms and Cure
Bad Breath Symptoms and Cure
Until recently, most treatments have been generally unsuccessful in resolving bad breath conditions. Common treatments such as mouthwashes, mints, chewing gums, mouth sprays, and intestinal cleansings otherwise known as colonics, are simply inadequate. There are many websites offering “magic” breath products. Of course, these are a waste of money. Serious, persistent, chronic bad breath is now very much treatable.
Some bad breath symptoms are sour taste, metallic taste, post nasal drainage, film on tongue, dry mouth, white nodules on the tonsils, and yellow film. Before revealing the cure here are some further explanations:
A White or Yellow Film on the Tongue
This is a very common observation we see in halitosis sufferers. It is caused by the accumulation of bacteria and nasal mucous, and tends to be heaviest in the posterior regions of the tongue. The removal of this film typically does not completely eliminate halitosis for most patients. The reason for this is that the anaerobic bacteria that produce halitosis odors are found through out the entire mouth and in the saliva. If you have longer or larger taste buds (papillae), then you will have a greater potential to trap bacteria in the tongue’s papillae. If you have heavy amounts of these yellow or white films there is a good chance you may have halitosis.
We have found that patients who rapidly build up films on their tongue often have ongoing post nasal (mucous) drainage that they may or may not be aware of. It is important to reduce this drainage using the Hydro Pulse sinus irrigator and the Breath-Ease XL saline powder that is available on our website.
Dry Mouth
Dry mouth is a common symptom with people suffering from halitosis, and it is one of the main causes of halitosis. Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, causes a number of changes to occur in the mouth. First of all, the bacteria become more concentrated in the saliva and they tend to volatilize or evaporate more readily into the air. When this occurs, bad breath will be stronger and more noticeable at greater distances.
Additionally, the pH or acid/base balance of the mouth becomes altered, and this provides an environment that is more conducive to the growth of anaerobic bacteria. Because there is less saliva the flushing or cleansing effect of saliva is reduced. This results in more bacteria and cellular debris accumulating in the oral cavity.
Common causes of xerostomia are aging, insufficient fluid intake, using alcohol based mouth rinses, and numerous medications. Some common medications that can cause drying of the mouth are allergy medications, anti-depressives, blood pressure medications, and diuretics just to name a few. Coffee is considered a diuretic. Some less common causes are radiation treatment to the head and neck areas, patients suffering from Sjogrens Syndrome, diabetes, and other auto-immune diseases.
The first and simplest thing we recommend patients do is be sure that they are consuming at least the recommended daily allowance of water which is eight glasses of water per day. Chewing sugarless gum also helps to increase salivary flow while chewing. Despite numerous products claiming they can eliminate or significantly improve dry mouth conditions, we have only found one product so far that significantly helps the problem. Besides causing halitosis, xerostomia often results in a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth. Without a doubt xerostomia is very difficult to eliminate entirely, but even if a patient’s xerostomia remains we can still effectively treat their halitosis condition.
Dr. Anthony Dailley, DDS, bad breath specialist and halitosis national authority, has successfully treated thousands of patients. Visit http://www.breathcure.com/ for info on unique treatment kits
Until recently, most treatments have been generally unsuccessful in resolving bad breath conditions. Common treatments such as mouthwashes, mints, chewing gums, mouth sprays, and intestinal cleansings otherwise known as colonics, are simply inadequate. There are many websites offering “magic” breath products. Of course, these are a waste of money. Serious, persistent, chronic bad breath is now very much treatable.
Some bad breath symptoms are sour taste, metallic taste, post nasal drainage, film on tongue, dry mouth, white nodules on the tonsils, and yellow film. Before revealing the cure here are some further explanations:
A White or Yellow Film on the Tongue
This is a very common observation we see in halitosis sufferers. It is caused by the accumulation of bacteria and nasal mucous, and tends to be heaviest in the posterior regions of the tongue. The removal of this film typically does not completely eliminate halitosis for most patients. The reason for this is that the anaerobic bacteria that produce halitosis odors are found through out the entire mouth and in the saliva. If you have longer or larger taste buds (papillae), then you will have a greater potential to trap bacteria in the tongue’s papillae. If you have heavy amounts of these yellow or white films there is a good chance you may have halitosis.
We have found that patients who rapidly build up films on their tongue often have ongoing post nasal (mucous) drainage that they may or may not be aware of. It is important to reduce this drainage using the Hydro Pulse sinus irrigator and the Breath-Ease XL saline powder that is available on our website.
Dry Mouth
Dry mouth is a common symptom with people suffering from halitosis, and it is one of the main causes of halitosis. Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, causes a number of changes to occur in the mouth. First of all, the bacteria become more concentrated in the saliva and they tend to volatilize or evaporate more readily into the air. When this occurs, bad breath will be stronger and more noticeable at greater distances.
Additionally, the pH or acid/base balance of the mouth becomes altered, and this provides an environment that is more conducive to the growth of anaerobic bacteria. Because there is less saliva the flushing or cleansing effect of saliva is reduced. This results in more bacteria and cellular debris accumulating in the oral cavity.
Common causes of xerostomia are aging, insufficient fluid intake, using alcohol based mouth rinses, and numerous medications. Some common medications that can cause drying of the mouth are allergy medications, anti-depressives, blood pressure medications, and diuretics just to name a few. Coffee is considered a diuretic. Some less common causes are radiation treatment to the head and neck areas, patients suffering from Sjogrens Syndrome, diabetes, and other auto-immune diseases.
The first and simplest thing we recommend patients do is be sure that they are consuming at least the recommended daily allowance of water which is eight glasses of water per day. Chewing sugarless gum also helps to increase salivary flow while chewing. Despite numerous products claiming they can eliminate or significantly improve dry mouth conditions, we have only found one product so far that significantly helps the problem. Besides causing halitosis, xerostomia often results in a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth. Without a doubt xerostomia is very difficult to eliminate entirely, but even if a patient’s xerostomia remains we can still effectively treat their halitosis condition.
Dr. Anthony Dailley, DDS, bad breath specialist and halitosis national authority, has successfully treated thousands of patients. Visit http://www.breathcure.com/ for info on unique treatment kits
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