The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health

24 Aug 2011 12:53 AM PDTONCE in a while, someone walks into a room and chokes every living thing in it with the overwhelming scent of perfume.The wearer is oblivious to the reaction of others as the sense of smell has become acclimatised to the constant stimulus.

In a similar fashion, those with bad breath have no inkling how the foul odour affects those within the "smell radius".

Foetor oris is Latin for "stinky mouth".In scientific nomenclature, malodorous breath is termed as halitosis.

Who has it?Unfortunately, everyone, at some time of the day, but for some poor souls, it's all day long.A simple test would be to lick the inside of the wrist, let the saliva dry a bit, and take a sniff.Try doing this first thing in the morning for full impact!

Bad breath certainly has unavoidable social connotations.One can accept a less than perfect visual image, but when subjected to the smell of rotten eggs at close proximity, it's a tough call indeed.The mouth is like a swamp, harbouring 600 different types of bacteria, some of which makes the oral orifice smell bad.Unhealthy, inflamed gums and plaques are the chief causes of halitosis as there are high concentrations of bacteria here.The back of the tongue is a notorious hideout for rogue bugs.

Ill-fitting dentures, bridges, crowns and poor dental hygiene promotes bad breath.

A persistent sneezer with clogged sinuses, throat or respiratory tract infection are the common non-dental sources of foul breath.

The tonsil are two marble-like lymph tissues at the throat, with little crevices on its surface.Food particles and cellular debris can collect in these nooks and crannies, inviting bacteria to work on it.Mouth ulcers and more sinister lesions like oral and nasopharyngeal cancer can present with halitosis.

The morning after

The self-cleaning mechanism in the mouth is a technology patented by nature.The swirling movement of the tongue and the drooling of saliva helps to sweep food, bacteria and what nots, flushing them down into the gullet en route to the stomach.

This explains the "morning after" breath, because during sleep, there is stagnation and reduced saliva flow, a situation particularly aggravated in the mouth breather and sonorous sleeper.The auto cleanser enters into the sleep mode.An unhealthy gut leaves tell-tale smells, from both ends!Halitosis is a challenging issue for poorly controlled diabetics.In an environment of high blood sugar, of which little gets into the cells for utilisation, the body trims the fat and breaks down proteins for a secondary source of energy, thereby creating an acidic state known as ketoacidosis.With due respect, the following is an extract from a casual interview....ahh, also to reduce contaminated spray on the face.Dr Chong: Pain is usually their motivating factor.Dr Chong: Hardly, either they are not aware or they live with it.They usually do not bring up the smelly issue.

CS: Is the cause of bad breath usually obvious?

Dr Chong: Yes, in the majority of cases, there is a dental cause, like unhealthy gums, plaques, caries, problems with dentures and general oral neglect.However, among those who complain of having bad breath, it is often due to a non-dental cause like sinusitis or poor digestive health.

CS: Since all of us do have, on occasions, breath that is a tad bad, especially in the mornings and after certain foods, is that normal?

Dr Chong: Call that physiological halitosis if you like.It usually becomes less noticeable after brushing, flossing or eating a meal.

However, some individuals have a highly disproportionate perception of their intensity of bad breath (even though unnoticed by others).

And we went on and on exploring the stinky problem.This is what she recommends: Remove and clean dentures, nightly.Dental hygiene is an integral component of general health.In the absence of dental causes, other more pressing undercurrents need to be unmasked and tamed.

Halitosis is more than just a social handicap; something is rotting, and it better not be your health!

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