Watch Out! You Just Might Have Bad Breath Right Now If...

Now that you are paying attention, let's quickly get down to the causes of that embarrassing condition that can throw a wrench into your up-close, personal, and professional relationships. Sometimes we don't even know we might have bad breath (acclimation) unless it's strong enough to be self-noticeable. Also known as halitosis, the Dragon, oral BO, morning mouth, and stomatodysodia (to name a few), this dental malady shows itself when one exhales air that carries an offending smell. The fight against bad breath is a daily, life-long battle, and oral-hygiene companies make billions of dollars from consumers who want better breath.

Here's a way to check your self, right now!: close the lips and suck in the lips and cheeks tight against the teeth. Do you taste anything? And if you do, does that taste have a smell? Status check!

The American Dental Association says that half the population of the United States has halitosis at one time or another. And that half of that 50% group has chronic halitosis. So what can we do to eliminate the embarrassment of breathing out foul odors and risking our personal and professional relationships?

Well, by flossing, brushing, and rinsing (in that order) more, soon after eating preferably, you can minimize the effect of the residual smell of food you just ate on the breath. At least keep a toothbrush and toothpaste with you at work or at school to touch up. Add another dose of toothpaste halfway into your brushing session to suds things up well. Decomposing food hiding out between the teeth and under the gums can contribute to bad breath and give the bacteria there a lot to munch on. Experiments have shown that a major source of fetor oris (bad breath) is the sulfur-compounds-producing bacteria found on the dorsum or back of the tongue. VSCs or volitile sulfur compounds (which smell like rotten eggs) like hydrogen sulfide, allyl methyl sulfide, and dimethyl sulfide are produced by bacteria there. That area offers the bacteria there a warm, moist environment in which to grow and thrive. This area is covered by a hard-to-remove, thick mucous coating or biolfilm. Some of the food you eat gets into the biofilm and into the crevices of the tongue and provides nourishment to those microorganisms. The best way to reduce the bacteria on the tongue (which may make the tongue look like it has a white coating) is to clean the tongue thoroughly with a toothbrush or tongue scraper until radiates a clean, healthy near-pink color. Several dozen bacteria in the mouth out of more than 600 species found in the average mouth are thought to potentially cause the "Gas Face."

If you have cavities or gum problems (gingivitis, periodontitis), see your dentist (whom you should be seeing every six months anyway) and get treated. Some strong foods like garlic and onions are absorbed into the bloodstream and pass through the lungs, where the food gases are expelled through the breath until the body cleans it totally away in about 48 hours or less.

Even though the inner workings of the mouth cause of 90% of “ozostomia” occurrences, a large number of medical conditions in the body away from the mouth can cause "altered breath." They include, but are not limited to, acid reflex, diabetes, throat infections, tonsillitis (tonsilloliths), sinusitis, lung infections, bronchitis, gastritis, some cancers, liver and kidney problems, and foreign objects in the nose. Some medications can affect the breath, too, like antihistamines. Long-time smokers in many cases have gum disease and other problems that can cause oral odors. Alcohol consumption reflects back in the breath and may lessen one's motivational urgency to practice proper oral hygiene. Radiation and chemotherapy can lower salivary gland function, leading to dry mouth and possibly severe caries, along with oral stench.

Partial and full dentures must be regularly cleaned and maintained to prevent them from developing a funky smell. Use a denture cleaning tablet to clean chemically, or, to clean mechanically, use a denture brush, room-temperature water, and a dedicated denture cleaning paste (which can clean a denture better than toothpaste can).

Devices have been developed to check breath quality and to test for the presence of breath-aroma-related bacteria and their enzymes, like the portable halimeter, the hand-held gas chromatograph, the BANA test, and the β-galactosidase test.

Mouthwash, gum, mints, sprays and tongue lozenges can be employed to keep any smell temporarily at bay.

The International Society for Breath Odor Research (ISBOR) was formed in 1996 to research and understand all aspects of breath odors. Organoleptic measurements are made of the type and level of oral odors by trained experts who actually sniff and score the severity of breath levels and assess them on an intensity scale ranging from one to six.

The best approach to prevent almost-flame-throwing bad breath is to stay vigilant with the knowledge that if you don't adequately "touch up" after eating, you're taking your chances!

May you have many...no nose holding, you can get upclose, spring fresh…smiles!