Kiss bad breath goodbye

AS YOUR eyes meet, the anticipation of what’s to come builds. Slowly, you move towards each other and your lips finally touch.

Suddenly the moment is ruined as you recoil in horror when the full impact of their bad breath hits you like a ton of bricks. You gag, grab your coat and run.

Halitosis remains one of the last social taboos of the 21st century, with people suffering in silence rather than admit to having what is essentially a medical condition.

But bad breath (not to be confused with food breath or morning breath) affects an astonishing 96 per cent of the population at some point in their lives, due to a build-up of excess bacteria in the mouth that emits volatile sulphur compounds.

It can seriously affect not only relationships, but even job prospects, particularly if the sufferer’s role involves dealing with the public or making presentations to clients.

Now an awareness campaign has been launched to encourage people to freshen up their act. Fresh Breath Week, which started yesterday has been organised to bring the issue of halitosis, out into the open air.

There are many different types of bad bacteria in the mouth that cause halitosis, and dispelling the myth that oral malodour comes from the stomach is apparently the first step to finding a cure for sufferers.

Dr Phil Stemmer, founder of the Fresh Breath Centre, says: "Bad breath is no laughing matter - there have even been recorded cases of suicide due to halitosis.

"It has a huge impact on people’s lives. It can socially cripple a person to such an extent that they are afraid to speak to people, and it can often hamper their progress in the workplace. It affects their every waking moment. They avoid speaking to others or, when they do, they keep their hands over their mouths.

"The cause is almost always from the mouth, not the stomach as people tend to think. Excesses of bacteria give off odorous or smelly gases. It’s nothing to do with eating onions, garlic and curries. That will just give you morning breath. It’s much more serious and long-lasting than that."

He adds: "Gums that bleed all the time are usually a sign of disease so watch out for these. The first thing to do if you think you have halitosis is to visit to your dentist or oral hygienist. Then get into a good oral hygiene routine.

"People are terribly embarrassed by halitosis. Yet it can be sorted out. We have a success rate of over 95 per cent. It gives them a huge confidence boost. We’ve helped many people whose relationships have split up. One lady wouldn’t leave the house for two years. And so many people have lost jobs over it, or have failed at interviews."

The actual by-products of the bacteria responsible for bad breath are the oh-so pleasant-sounding cadaverine and putricine, together with indoles (the same gases that are given off by bowel bacteria).

Dr Jonathan Munns, a dentist based in Devon who runs the website freshbreathonline.com says he is aware of the problem because of patients who have been sufferers of halitosis - but he, too, has suffered from bad breath.

"As a dentist I am often in close proximity to people when talking and treating them. From a professional and socially acceptable perspective it is essential that I am quite sure that I am not offending people’s noses with smelly breath," he says.

"I am lucky because I usually can wear a mask while working but I am even more fortunate because I believe I do know the cause and effective treatment for bad breath, and the cure doesn’t rely on sucking mints all day.

"Mouthwashes and mints don’t stop bad breath. Both products only temporarily mask over the problem. In fact, mouthwashes with any alcohol content will probably make halitosis worse by drying the mouth and increasing the presence of volatile, noxious gases.

"But there is a very effective way to treat and prevent the majority of bad breath. I would advise people to seek the opinion of a qualified dentist who can advise you about the state of your teeth and gums, together with offering you help with your own dental care."

He says that rather than suffering the humiliation of asking someone if your breath smells, it’s safer too assume that all of us can have breath that smells offensive from time to time.

In order to prevent it, he says, we have to remove the plaque build-up on our teeth more effectively.

"Those who remove plaque less effectively tend to have halitosis together with gum disease," he says. "When the gums become inflamed and swollen (gingivitis and periodontitis) they fill with more blood and the bacteria putrefy both food debris and blood. Any area where plaque accumulates can result in halitosis, even on plastic dentures which have not been regularly and thoroughly cleaned.

"So bad breath can largely be prevented by removing bacteria as far as possible from round the teeth and tongue on a daily basis."

How to tell if you have a problem - and how to treat it

Try the lick-wrist test, which is far more effective than the hand-cupping technique. Stick your tongue out as far as possible, and lick the inside of your wrist using the back of your tongue. Allow the moisture to dry, and sniff.

Floss your teeth before brushing, and then smell the dental floss.

A constant bad, sour or even "metallic" taste in your mouth may be an indication that you suffer from bad breath.

To help prevent it, brush your teeth twice a day, preferably using an electric toothbrush, but always clean your tongue with a tongue-scraper as well. Brushing your tongue will just move the debris around, but a tongue-scraper will physically remove any bad bacteria lurking at the back of the tongue.

Use dental floss once a day.

Eat breakfast and at least two pieces of citrus fruit a day to stimulate salivary flow.

Drink at least two litres of water a day but steer clear of foodstuffs that cause dehydration such as coffee, alcohol and tea.

Twice a day, use a mouth rinse which physically removes the bacteria that causes bad breath, as opposed to just masking the smell. Shake it well then rinse and gargle for 30 seconds to remove clumps of debris, dead cells and bacteria. But make sure it’s alcohol-free. Alcohol in any shape or form makes bad breath worse because it dries out the mouth.

Bear in mind that another hazard for oral health is smoking. Apart from creating a risk of oral cancer, it increases gum disease by constricting blood vessels that deliver nutrients to the gums, contributes to bone breakdown and slows healing of the tissue.