Stinky Breath Solutions

BAD BREATH – halitosis – is the third most frequent reason people seek dental treatment, behind tooth decay and gum disease.

Halitosis is most commonly transient, such as when the breath is affected by certain foods, alcohol or smoking.

However, in a small number of cases, halitosis can be persistent and chronic, and may be a consequence of more severe systemic complications.

In 90 per cent of cases, the source of halitosis is located in the oral cavity, primarily due to the tongue.

The posterior part of the tongue has numerous crypts which house a large proportion of bacteria where they lay largely undisturbed, and thrive on food deposits, dead cells and postnasal Dr. Ip.

These bacteria thrive in these oxygen poor sites decomposing proteins to produce the characteristic sulphur product 'rotten egg' smell.

It is not uncommon for people to present to the dentist with food impaction sites between teeth due to poor dental restorations, trapping enough food product to provide an afternoon or evening snack.

Not only are these areas more prone to decay and gum disease, but they are another potential site to harbour bad breath causing bacteria.

These sites can often also be easily fixed by your dentist.

Furthermore, the presence of advanced gum disease is also another source of bacteria, above and particularly below the gum line which can cause significant bad breath.

Removal of this bacterial load by your hygienist at your six monthly hygiene care appointment removes the cause of the smell.

So how do you know if you have stinky breath?

There are several techniques available to professionally determine the severity of bad breath, none of which are particularly effective.

The most common and simplest method to test for yourself is to simply ask a friend.

The old wives tale of licking the back of your hand and then smelling the area results in an overestimation.

If you are game, try smelling the floss following flossing your back teeth.

The results are often scary and a certain to get you reaching for your hygienist's phone number!

Next article we will discuss techniques to help eliminate stinky breath.

Until then! Keep brushing and flossing.