Bad Breath Explained and Tamed

 Bad Breath Explained and Tamed

This article was originally published on www.doctoroz.com by Jonathan B. Levine, DMD

Ninety percent of people between the ages of 16 and 40 feel that having bad breath is “the worst social mistake one can make,” according to a recent study. So what causes this embarrassing condition and what can you do about it?

Bad breath is caused by the excretion of the anaerobic bacteria that live within your mouth. These anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that do not need oxygen to survive) excrete sulfur compounds. These sulfur compounds ignite the bad-breath brushfire. The rotten egg smell (hydrogen sulfide) and the barnyard smell (methyl mercaptan) are known as VSCs  – volatilesulfur compounds. The key word here is volatile.

Some people have worse breath than others. Even the most diligent VSC-fighter could still possess bad breath. That’s because, for reasons that have never been figured out, some of us are just blessed with the ability to produce fewer anaerobic bacteria than others.

How do you know if you have bad breath? Some indicators that you’re likely to send people reeling when you whisper in their ears include sleeping with your mouth open, snoring, smoking, consuming alcohol and taking certain prescription medications and antihistamines. All of these factors decrease the amount of saliva in your mouth. Saliva contains oxygen, which keeps your mouth healthy and fresh. A white-coated tongue is also an indication that you may have bad breath. That white coating is comprised of sulfur compounds that have risen to the tongue’s surface and cause bad breath. Old, worn dental work has a rough surface that also provides a space for bacteria to colonize.

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