Your complete solutions and treatment to Bad Breath (Halitosis) by Ultimate-Cosmetics.com

“Call it bad breath or halitosis; it’s an acutely unpleasant situation that’s the real reason for embarrassment. Many of us with bad breath aren’t even aware there’s a real problem.”

What is Halitosis? - Problem of Bad Breath

“Oral malodor or breath odor, or most commonly bad breath is terms used to describe noticeably unpleasant odors exhaled in breathing.”

Acute bad breath is a very common problem caused by such things as oral dryness, stress, hunger, eating certain foods such as garlic and onions, smoking, and poor oral care.

Morning breath is a typical example of transient bad breath. However chronic bad breath is a far more serious condition affecting one quarter of the population in different capacities, and usually has a bad impact on the individual's capacity to maintain good personal and business relationship, leading to catastrophe.

Halitosis is caused by the presence of a huge colony of oral bacteria and invariably requires persistent treatment. Presently, persistent halitosis is not clearly understood or even identified as a curable condition by most medical experts, so a proper and effective treatment is almost impossible to find.

Most of the treatments available are mostly asymptotic and are limited to controlling bad breath by mouth and breath fresheners. Though many breath clinics have sprouted like mushroom, all over the world, many of them are not really successful. However, a very small number of clinics use established methods of microbiological examination to determine the varieties of odor-causing bacteria. The specific bacteria are then controlled by patient specific treatments, thus giving patients relief from the ordeal.

Though the reasons for bad breath odor are not completely understood, most unpleasant odors are known to occur due to food debris trapped in the mouth. It is really amazing to find as many as 400 different types of bacteria in an average mouth!

Trouble can occur when several dozen of these bacteria are allowed to flourish in large proportions or are genetically mutated to reproduce in a large number. Many species of these bacteria are usually found on the back of the tongue, where they find protection and security from normal mouth activity. The rough edges of our tongue usually harbor millions of these harmful bacteria, which create toxins by digesting debris, dead cells, and other residues. These toxins are harmful in creating a bad odor in the breath.

The anaerobic respiration of these bacteria will accrue residual compounds containing sulfides and ammonia. These bad compounds often mix with the breath to form an aerosol of nausea and bad odor.

Other causes of chronic bad breath may be periodontitis (gum disease), diabetes, kidney failure, sinusitis, tonsilloliths, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), and a wide variety of prescription drugs.

Some Curious Facts about Bad Breath and How People Treat Halitosis:

1.Approximately 25% of people in the world suffer from halitosis on a regular basis.

2.A majority of the adult population will invariably face bad breath when they wake up in the morning.

3.Most people in the world do not brush their teeth properly. It usually takes 3 minutes of brushing to reach all nooks and corners of your teeth. Unfortunately, humans fail miserably when it comes to tooth hygiene. Good dental hygiene i.e. regular brushing and flossing will help to eliminate bad breath.

4.Most people spend just on an average 30-40 seconds in brushing their teeth. By doing this they are missing out cleaning those areas where harmful bacteria thrives well to form sulphur compounds.

5.Bad breath usually comes from the back of the mouth where a bacterium feeds off the accumulated food particles creating bad smelling compounds.

6.Over 200 different species of bacteria live in your mouth— and as many as 50% of these bacteria are found on the back of the tongue.

7.We never emit bad breath until we actually begin to speak. Bad breath often starts near the back of the mouth and is driven forward and out of the mouth only when we start talking.

8.It is a pure myth that we can smell our own breath odor! It is never possible! This is because we have become so accustomed to smelling our own odor.

9.Many foods you eat can cause bad breath. Two of the most common culprits are onions and cabbage, which contain high amounts of sulphur compounds.
Upon digestion, these sulphur compounds are absorbed into the blood stream and carried forward to the lungs. These odorous compounds are then exhaled through our mouth.

10.A dry mouth is a perfect environment for bad breath causing bacteria! Saliva is a natural mouthwash and it keeps your tongue wet always, thus washing away bacteria, and dissolving foul smelling volatile sulphur compounds.

11.Sleeping too much, unnecessary dieting, excessive fasting, or talking for long periods of time makes your mouth very dry and increases the likelihood of bad breath. Apart from this certain medications, drugs, alcohol consumption, and nasal breathing can cause the mouth to become dry, thus compounding the problem.

12. Bad breath could ruin your social reputation. Bad breath is a serious social handicap; it damages social, sexual and vocational interactions.

13. If the onset of your bad breath odor has been sudden, is growing noticeably worse over a period of days or weeks, or has been accompanied by the onset of fever, cough, or other symptoms, it would be wise to seek a medical consultation.

Quotable Quotes!

“Champagne does have one regular drawback: swilled as a regular thing certain sourness settles in the tummy and the result is permanent bad breath. Really incurable!” ----Truman Capote, 'Answered Prayers' (1975)

“And, most dear actors eat neither onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath.” ----William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) A Midsummer Night's Dream

“Since garlic then hath powers to save from death, bear with it though it makes unsavory breath.” ----Salerno Regimen of Health (12th century)

User feedback on bad-breath help guide

"Thank you very much for sending information about bad breath. It is interesting and useful in many ways. I will send you my version for gettingrid ofthe bad breath which sounds like this: As a first step you can use your general toothpaste for brushing teeth. After that i generally mix half a teaspoon of salt and the same amount of bakingsoda.It is better to mix them well and as you start brushing be a bit careful in terms of gums. Try not to demage gums. After brushing teeth, use 2 tea cups of warm water to rinse fully salt and soda from your mouth. After that use lipstick on your lips ( as they get dry easily ). This can be done once a month. If you do it more often, gums can be demaged." - Natalia