Hali-what?
Halitosis is the clinical term for bad breath. And as you’re probably aware, malodorous mouths come in a variety of awful scents. There’s the tobacco breath, garlic breath, onion breath—all easily preventable — and then there are the serious scents, all released by decaying matter stuck in your teeth or gums. Foul breath is usually a combination of these gases and chemicals. Rotten egg-breath is created by sulfur compounds. Decaying fish-breath comes from a chemical called Cadavarine (the same scent dead bodies or cadavers give off). Methyl mercaptan smells like rotten cabbage. Isovaleric acid smells like sweaty feet. If your breath smells like decaying meat you’ve got Putrescine in your mouth and finally, probably the worst of all, Skatole will make your breath smell like poo.
Hali-why?
Bad breath has some scary causes like infections, diabetes, kidney failure, liver malfunction and metabolism disorders but it usually comes from the food you eat or – your dentist was right! – poor oral hygiene. When you dine on stinky snacks with garlic or onion, the food is absorbed into your blood and transferred to your lungs so every time you breathe: onion breath! Brushing your teeth, chewing gum or using mouthwash will only mask the odor until your body fully digests and eliminates the culprit. Of course your dentist won’t complain if you eat smelly foods. It’s neglecting your oral hygiene habits that will not only make your dentist cringe, but keep your kissing prospects away. Bacterial plaque and bits of food can get caught on the back of your tongue and thrive on protein, not sugar, like the cavity-producing bacteria on your teeth, and low-oxygen environments. So mouth breathers beware! Sucking air with an open jaw, which dries out your tongue, may hinder your halitosis. As the bacteria grows it releases the awful scents and chemicals listed above. These chemicals can also be a result of food and bacteria stuck between your teeth – that’s why you’re told to floss daily!
Hali-heck do I get rid of it?
To make sure your mouth smells sweet, brush your teeth! And while you’re at it, brush your gums and your tongue and floss at least once a day. Think about what you’ve eaten then imagine it stuck and decaying in the crevices in your mouth – makes you want to floss doesn’t it? Another way to prevent putrid breath is chewing gum. While most gums and mints will just cover the unpleasant scent, like a deodorant for your mouth, an American study last year showed that cinnamon gum actually killed 40 per cent of bad-breath germs.
Who me?
You know that other people can tell when you have bad breath. They often offer gum, cover their noses or just run in the other direction, but how can you catch on before they do? Lick your wrist. No, really. Stick your tongue out as far as you can and lick your wrist. Wait a few seconds then take a whiff. Alternately, and even grosser, you can stick your finger into your mouth to the back of your tongue and gently scratch the surface. Again wait a couple seconds and have a sniff. To understand just how important it is to brush and floss regularly, take a spoon and scrape the back of your tongue. You’ll get a chance to actually see the putrid problem – a yellowish mucous material made up of all those bacteria and germs living in your mouth. |
