|
|
|
|
|
Breath OdorHalitosis, breath odour, or most commonly bad breath are terms used to describe noticeably unpleasant odours exhaled in breathing. Though specific odours can be caused by sometimes serious medical conditions, bad breath is typically innocuous in itself, and only causes problems in interpersonal relations (one's own breath odour is usually undetectable due to the process of habituation). Whereas odours indicating underlying pathology can stem in the stomach, lungs, or bloodstream, most bad breath arises in the mouth and upper throat. Though the causes of breath odour are not well understood, the most unpleasant odours are thought to arise from food trapped in the mouth which is processed by normal mouth flora. The anaerobic respiration of such bacteria can yield either a putrescent smell, or that of sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and thiols. Diagnosis An easy way to determine bad breath is licking the back of the hand, let saliva dry and sniff it. Another way would be to scrape the posterior of the tongue with a spoon, and to sniff the contents of the spoon. Please see the external link to Animated-Teeth.com below for more details. Home care Bad breath can be reduced by using hydrogen peroxide combined with yoghurt containing active bacterial culture. Hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 1.5% can be taken as an oral antiseptic by gargling 10 ml, about two teaspoons. Hydrogen peroxide is commonly available at a concentration of 3% and should be diluted to 1.5% by mixing it with an equal volume of water. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizer which kills most bacteria, including useful aerobic bacteria. Unless yoghurt is eaten or aerobic bacteria is added by some other means, foul smelling bacteria will eventually reproduce, so on its own the effects of hydrogen peroxide are temporary. Yoghurt with active bacterial culture contains beneficial aerobic bacteria, which does not have a bad odor. This bacteria helps digestion and by occupying the host, prevents other bacteria from returning. So eating yoghurt colonizes the host with good bacteria, especially after most of the previous bacteria were killed by hydrogen peroxide. This combination displaces odor causing bacteria for a long time. Suggested products Another way to reduce bad breath would be through TheraBreath products (e.g., toothpastes and oral rinses) which contain a proprietary molecule called Oxyd-8. Oxyd-8 is an oxidizing agent that creates an unfriendly environment for anaerobic bacteria and (according to Dr. Harold Katz) neutralizes the sulfur compounds responsible for the odors of bad breath. External links
|
 |
|
| Copyright 2005-2009 OnPedia.com. All Rights Reserved |
|
|