Treatment for Bad Breath

Halitosis or Bad Breath is an oral disease in which a chemical compound or a series of chemical compounds produced within the body result in an unpleasant odor on the breath.

When Should You Seek Medical Treatment?

• If you recurrently experience a bad taste in the mouth
• If you recurrently see a white or a yellow layer or coating on the teeth or tongue
• If people have commented or remarked on the foul smell coming out of your mouth

Good oral hygiene is the best preventive method for Halitosis. This includes flossing, brushing, gentle brushing of your tongue and regular cleaning by the dentist once or twice a year. Diet control is also very important. Avoiding highly spiced foods such as onions and garlic and avoiding alcohol and tobacco will help in reducing Halitosis. Cutting down on consumption of fatty foods such as cheese, butter, whole milk also helps in treating Halitosis. If ad breath is due to a medical condition such as sore throat, antibiotic will help in reducing the infection and will automatically reduce the foul smell emanating from the mouth. Mouthwashes which are available over the counter only temporarily mask the foul smell. But they do not alleviate the problem and hence mouthwashes do not have long lasting effects. A specialist has to be consulted when chronic Halitosis persists.

While treating a Halitosis patient, a dentist usually checks if the patient is suffering from dry mouth disease, has sores in the mouth, experiences pain while chewing and swallowing, has white spots on the tonsils, has fever, or has just begun taking new medication, has had a dental surgery just recently.

Before commencing the treatment for bad breath, dentists take a complete medical and dental history of the patients. The dentists ask the patients about their dietary habits, medications, medical conditions, family, tobacco use, smoking habits, and alcohol consumption.

As the dentist examines the mouth of the patient, he takes X rays and if he comes to know that the condition is due to a gum disease, he prepares a periodontal chart.

The dentist may also use a Halometer. A Halometer is a device used or measuring the amount of volatile sulfur compounds in the breath.

The medical treatment to cure Halitosis depends upon the cause of bad breath. If bad breath or Halitosis is caused due to dry mouth or Xerostomia, artificial saliva is prescribed by the dentist. Dentist also prescribes special toothpastes or mouthwashes for curing the patient of bad breath. The patient must follow all the instructions given by the dentist or the medical professional. If the dentist comes to know that the problem of bad breath is not originating from the mouth then the patient is referred to doctor. If the bad breath is the result of some gum disease or gum infection, then the patient is referred to a periodontist. A periodontist is a physician who specializes in the treatment of gums.

Halitosis often causes embarrassing situations. Bad breath is often a sign of ill health and it gives the signal that the person suffering from bad breath is not very hygienic. Hence if you are experiencing chronic halitosis then seek medical attention as soon as possible. Prevention is always better than cure. Hence, maintain proper oral hygiene, visit the dentists regularly and avoid tobacco.

- Seema Khinnavar

Tags: bad breath, halitosis

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