A 17 year old male was brought for consult recently because of,apparently, "bad breath". His mother claimed that she sometimes can't stand the smell of his son's breath everytime they are closely conversing. The son however denied this allegation and claimed he brushes his teeth regularly and even uses mouthrinses.
On examination, I found no dental caries or any mouth sores. The faucial tonsils were also not enlarged. But, the smell from the lad's mouth was really foul that I had to stop breathing while doing the oral examination.
I am sure that you have encountered some people who have the same "breath of fire". It is a sensitive issue but we must be bold to tell the person of this problem because they might have developed tolerance of the smell already and wouldn't realize that they have this embarrassing condition.
As the nation celebrates the "Fire Prevention Month" , let me share inputs on the condition called HALITOSIS, a condition I refer to as "Breath of Fire"! I hope you'll learn something from this post. Read on.
Halitosis is bad or sour smelling breath. Bad breath can be acute (short term) or chronic (long term) depending on the cause. It may indicate the need to clean the teeth and mouth more often, tooth or gum disease, or gastrointestinal disorders.
In most cases, halitosis originates from the gums and tongue. The odor is caused by bacteria from the decay of food particles, other debris in your mouth, and poor oral hygiene. The decay and debris produce a sulfur compound that causes the unpleasant odor.
Other causes of halitosis are: diabetes, drugs, gum disease, heavy metal accumulation, infection, liver disease, not eating, poor diet, poor dental hygiene, smoking, sulfur, stress, and tooth decay.
Some ways to lower your risk of developing halitosis are:
Brush and floss teeth regularly.
Clean and replace your toothbrush regularly.
Avoid mouthwashes with flavorings, dyes, and alcohol.
Avoid stress and seek out ways to relax and resolve stressful conditions in your life.
Get sufficient sunlight, exercise, and sleep.
Avoid spicy foods and those that leave residues or get stuck in the teeth (alcohol, cheese, meat, sweets).
Go on a cleansing or raw food fast to detox your body.
Chew parsley after meals, it is very rich in chlorophyll, a natural mouthwash.
Because most halitosis stems from bacterial production of odiferous compounds, general measures to diminish bacteria as well as measures targeted at prevention or treatment of periodontitis and gingivitis may be helpful. Mouthwashes or toothpastes containing a compound called stabilized chlorine dioxide appear to help eliminate bad breath by directly breaking down sulfur compounds in the mouth. One study showed reductions in mouth odor for at least four hours following the use of a mouthrinse containing this substance.
Preliminary research has demonstrated the ability of zinc to reduce the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth. One study found that the addition of zinc to a baking soda toothpaste lessened halitosis by lowering the levels of these compounds. A mouthrinse containing zinc chloride was seen in another study to neutralize the damaging effect of methyl mercaptan on periodontal tissue in the mouth.
Nutritional supplements recommended by some doctors for prevention and treatment of periodontitis include vitamin C (people with periodontitis are often found to be deficient), vitamin E, selenium, zinc, coenzyme Q10, and folic acid. Folic acid has also been shown to reduce the severity of gingivitis when taken as a mouthwash.
On examination, I found no dental caries or any mouth sores. The faucial tonsils were also not enlarged. But, the smell from the lad's mouth was really foul that I had to stop breathing while doing the oral examination.
I am sure that you have encountered some people who have the same "breath of fire". It is a sensitive issue but we must be bold to tell the person of this problem because they might have developed tolerance of the smell already and wouldn't realize that they have this embarrassing condition.
As the nation celebrates the "Fire Prevention Month" , let me share inputs on the condition called HALITOSIS, a condition I refer to as "Breath of Fire"! I hope you'll learn something from this post. Read on.
Halitosis is bad or sour smelling breath. Bad breath can be acute (short term) or chronic (long term) depending on the cause. It may indicate the need to clean the teeth and mouth more often, tooth or gum disease, or gastrointestinal disorders.
In most cases, halitosis originates from the gums and tongue. The odor is caused by bacteria from the decay of food particles, other debris in your mouth, and poor oral hygiene. The decay and debris produce a sulfur compound that causes the unpleasant odor.
Other causes of halitosis are: diabetes, drugs, gum disease, heavy metal accumulation, infection, liver disease, not eating, poor diet, poor dental hygiene, smoking, sulfur, stress, and tooth decay.
Some ways to lower your risk of developing halitosis are:
Brush and floss teeth regularly.
Clean and replace your toothbrush regularly.
Avoid mouthwashes with flavorings, dyes, and alcohol.
Avoid stress and seek out ways to relax and resolve stressful conditions in your life.
Get sufficient sunlight, exercise, and sleep.
Avoid spicy foods and those that leave residues or get stuck in the teeth (alcohol, cheese, meat, sweets).
Go on a cleansing or raw food fast to detox your body.
Chew parsley after meals, it is very rich in chlorophyll, a natural mouthwash.
Because most halitosis stems from bacterial production of odiferous compounds, general measures to diminish bacteria as well as measures targeted at prevention or treatment of periodontitis and gingivitis may be helpful. Mouthwashes or toothpastes containing a compound called stabilized chlorine dioxide appear to help eliminate bad breath by directly breaking down sulfur compounds in the mouth. One study showed reductions in mouth odor for at least four hours following the use of a mouthrinse containing this substance.
Preliminary research has demonstrated the ability of zinc to reduce the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth. One study found that the addition of zinc to a baking soda toothpaste lessened halitosis by lowering the levels of these compounds. A mouthrinse containing zinc chloride was seen in another study to neutralize the damaging effect of methyl mercaptan on periodontal tissue in the mouth.
Nutritional supplements recommended by some doctors for prevention and treatment of periodontitis include vitamin C (people with periodontitis are often found to be deficient), vitamin E, selenium, zinc, coenzyme Q10, and folic acid. Folic acid has also been shown to reduce the severity of gingivitis when taken as a mouthwash.
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