Bad breath

 Bad breath is a common problem plaguing many people. Bad breath is commonly referred to as halitosis. Some people are able to control their bad breath with mints, gums, and mouthwashes that are designed to prevent bad breath. The downside to many of these products is that they only cure bad breath temporarily. Certain food, health conditions, and other habits are the causes of bad breath. Most everyone will experience bad breath in the morning, after eating, or during periods when the mouth is dry. If you have been embarrassed by bad breath and over the counter toothpastes, gum, and other things aren't treating it, you may need to talk to your dentist about a more serious condition. Bad breath is caused by anaerobic oral bacteria which accumulates on people's tongues and in between the teeth.

So how do you know if you had bad breath? The expression on the faces of people you talk to is an easy and embarrassing way to find out you have bad breath. Another way to determine if you have bad breath is to try the following experiment:

• Lick your wrist and wait 5 seconds for the saliva to somewhat dry, then smell it. Whatever you are smelling is how your breath smells.
  
• Now you need to check the odor on the back of your tongue. Use a spoon and turn it upside down, scrape the very back portion of your tongue. You should be able to see a thick whitish material on the spoon. Smell this whitish material and that is another smell that is contributing to the smell of your breath. The bad breath you and other people are smelling is the bacteria that lives in this coating.

If you scrub your tongue with a toothbrush and tongue scraper and you still can't remove the bad breath smell, you may need to talk to your dentist. A dental researcher will be able to evaluate various cures for bad breath by measuring the severity of your bad breath. Here are the following ways a dental researcher tests for bad breath:

• Organoleptic testing. An organoletpic test will involve the researcher using their sense of smell to determine the bad breath. Since noses can detect up to 10,000 different smells, it is the cheapest and easiest way to determine bad breath. Organoleptic testing may be cheap, and effective, but it is not always the best method available to determine the cause of bad breath.
  
• Gas chromatography. Another way dental researchers test for bad breath is to identify compounds found in the samples they are studying. Dentists have used gas chromatography to test for bad breath. Gas chromatography machines are inexpensive and require personnel with special training to operate them. The machines are not portable and widely used in research studies.
  
• Halimeters are used to quantify halitosis. A halimeter is a specialized type of sulfide monitor that quantifies the degrees of bad breath. The sulfide gas in a person's breath are known to be the causes of bad breath. Hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan found in breath are known to be the causes of bad breath. A halimeter tests for a fewer number of compounds than a gas chromatograph.
  
• The BANA test is a way to test the bacteria in your mouth for periodontal disease and odors. A sample of your saliva will be taken and tested for bacteria. The sample will be placed with a BANA testing compound that will cause the bacteria to break down. The testing compound will change colors and the bacteria shown to cause bad breath will be detected.
  
• Chemiluminescence is another way to test for bad breath. A sample that contains sulfur is mixed with the mercury of the test and fluorescence occurs. A chemiluminescence test is effective because it provide better sensitivity and selectivity when you measure the low levels of sulfur compounds.

 There are numerous things that can cause bad breath. Food, dental problems, dry mouth, diseases, mouth, nose, and throat conditions can all lead to bad breath. Let's explore each of these causes further.

Food - When you chew food, the particles of food are broken down in and around your teeth. Food can get trapped around your teeth, causing a foul odor. Onions and garlic contain volatile oils that are known to cause bad breath. Other foods contain similar oils that cause breath. Most vegetables have oils in them that can cause bad breath. When you digest the food, the oils are absorbed into your bloodstream and they are eventually carried to your lungs, where you expel them when you breathe. Foods with volatile oils can remain in your body for up to 72 hours. If you smoke, you are likely to encounter bad breath too. The tobacco will stick on your teeth, gums, tongue, and cheeks and emit a foul-smelling odor when you breathe.

Dental problems - Poor dental hygiene leads to periodontal disease and can cause bad breath. If you do not have good dental hygiene (brushing, flossing, and mouthwash) then food particles can remain in your mouth and collect bacteria. This bacteria will emit hydrogen sulfide vapors and a colorless, sticky film of bacteria will form on your teeth. This bacteria is actually called plaque and it what causes cavities. Plaque will irritate your gums and also cause your teeth to decay. If you do not brush away the plaque, it will eventually form plaque-filled pockets between your teeth and gums. People who have dentures need to clean them regularly to avoid harboring odor-causing bacteria. If you have a tooth infection, it can also be causing bad breath. Pus pockets can form in the gums and weep into the mouth, causing your saliva to be infected with pus. The smell of pus is terrible and adds to the bad breath you may be experiencing.

Dry mouth - Saliva helps to clean your mouth and to keep it moist. A dry mouth enables dead cells to accumulate on your tongue, gums, and cheeks. The dead cells will accumulate, decomposed, and cause odor. Most people experience dry mouth in the morning after sleeping. If you sleep with your mouth open, dry mouth will worsen. If you are taking medications that cause dry mouth, be sure to drink more water to try and keep the saliva moist.

Diseases - Some diseases will cause you to have bad breath. Chronic lung infections and lung abscesses will produce bad breath. Kidney failure, liver problems, and cancer also lead to bad breath. Individuals with uncontrolled diabetes will also experience bad breath and individuals suffering from acid reflux will have bad breath.

 Mouth, nose, and throat problems - If you have a sinus infection, you probably have bad breath too. Nasal discharge from your sinuses will weep into the back of your throat and cause bad breath. If you notice your child is having bad breath, check their nose to see if a foreign object (like a marble) is lodged inside. Throat infections will also cause bad breath and it will remain foul-smelling until the infection clears.

If you have maintained good oral hygiene and you still have bad breath, you need to speak with your dentist. Your dentist can rule out if your bad breath is from a more serious condition if they rule out it is not dental. Some people may need a complete physical exam to determine what the root cause is behind their bad breath. If you are going to a dentist or other doctor for bad breath, there are a few things you can do. First, avoid eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, or brushing your teeth for 3 hours before your appointment. Do not wear scented lotion, perfume, cologne, or anything that gives off a smell as it could impact the test. If you are taking antibiotics, have your appointment rescheduled. Antibiotics will reduce the number of odor-causing bacteria in the mouth and the test could be compromised.

So how do you combat bad breath? Here are some simple tips to follow that may help:

• Brush your teeth after each meal. You should brush at least twice a day, if not more. When you brush, be sure to brush for about 2-3 minutes and scrub the tongue.
  
• Floss at least once a day. Flossing will remove left over food particles from your teeth and gums.
  
• Mouth, nose, and throat problems - If you have a sinus infection, you probably have bad breath too. Nasal discharge from your sinuses will weep into the back of your throat and cause bad breath. If you notice your child is having bad breath, check their nose to see if a foreign object (like a marble) is lodged inside. Throat infections will also cause bad breath and it will remain foul-smelling until the infection clears.

If you have maintained good oral hygiene and you still have bad breath, you need to speak with your dentist. Your dentist can rule out if your bad breath is from a more serious condition if they rule out it is not dental. Some people may need a complete physical exam to determine what the root cause is behind their bad breath. If you are going to a dentist or other doctor for bad breath, there are a few things you can do. First, avoid eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, or brushing your teeth for 3 hours before your appointment. Do not wear scented lotion, perfume, cologne, or anything that gives off a smell as it could impact the test. If you are taking antibiotics, have your appointment rescheduled. Antibiotics will reduce the number of odor-causing bacteria in the mouth and the test could be compromised.

So how do you combat bad breath? Here are some simple tips to follow that may help:

• Brush your teeth after each meal. You should brush at least twice a day, if not more. When you brush, be sure to brush for about 2-3 minutes and scrub the tongue.
  
• Floss at least once a day. Flossing will remove left over food particles from your teeth and gums.
  
• Brush and scrub your tongue. There are special tongue scrapers that are designed to start in the back area of the mouth and move all the way to the front. These tongue scrapers will remove the white, milky-looking residue on the back of the tongue that is infected with odor-causing bacteria.
  
• Drink plenty of water. Water is good for your entire body, especially your mouth. Water stimulates saliva and saliva will wash away odor-causing bacteria and other left over food particles.
  
• Replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. Always use toothbrushes with soft bristles. A toothbrush is one area where odor-causing bacteria will flourish and each time you brush, you could be putting the odor right back into your mouth.
  in the back area of the mouth and move all the way to the front. These tongue scrapers will remove the white, milky-looking residue on the back of the tongue that is infected with odor-causing bacteria.
  
• Drink plenty of water. Water is good for your entire body, especially your mouth. Water stimulates saliva and saliva will wash away odor-causing bacteria and other left over food particles.
  
• Replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. Always use toothbrushes with soft bristles. A toothbrush is one area where odor-causing bacteria will flourish and each time you brush, you could be putting the odor right back into your mouth.