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Take a deep breath...
Alex had tasted practically every brand of toothpaste available in the market. But he had fat luck with his halitosis. HALI... what? Halitosis is a medico's terminology for bad breath. Frequently, it should be considered as a symptom of an underlying disease, rather than a disease itself. A check-up revealed to Alex that he was to blame his sinusitis for his bad breath. Halitosis could be attributed to underlying systemic diseases such as chronic sinusitis, tonsillitis, common cold, peptic ulcers and leukemia or simply poor oral hygiene.
Certain drugs too play havoc with your breath. Take Anila's case. "I was on anti-depressants and I realised after some time that the drugs were adding to my depression by giving me a bad breath," says Anila, a college student.
Halitosis is also common in patients undergoing radiation therapy.
Studies show that about 85 per cent of patients suffering from halitosis have an oral condition as the source. The odor is caused by bacteria from the decay of food particles or other debris in your mouth, and poor oral hygiene. The decay and debris produce a sulfur compound that causes the unpleasant odor.
Hence, the easiest and most efficient treatment for halitosis would be maintaining good oral hygiene. Early extraction of broken down root stumps, brushing of teeth gums and tongue (3 times a day) are indicated. The word `floss' is still foreign to most Indians who don't realize that regular flossing is as important as brushing the teeth.
A few dietary changes might help bring in a breath of fresh air. Avoiding spicy food and food that tends to leave residue (alcohol, cheese, meat, sweets) would be a good idea. Crunchy foods such as carrots and apples would be good substitutes. Better still would be a raw food fast to detox your body. A diet rich in zinc would help break down sulphur. Herbs like parsley, mint and rosemary are natural mouthwashes. But dietary changes and mouthwashes only have a temporary effect and should not be considered the all-in treatment for halitosis.
Breathing through the mouth and lack of lip seal should be treated whenever possible. Other situations in which bad breath is often observed includes morning breath and hunger breath. The longer the time passed since the last meal, the more strongly manifested will be the latter condition. Deviated nasal septum and enlarged adenoids are common conditions that interfere with normal respiration. In older patients who may have heavy, sour breath, use of some lozenges that do not contain sugar may be suggested in the interval between brushing to increased salivary flow.
While most of the population has transient halitosis, chronic malodour is less common. Regardless of the type of halitosis, proper diagnosis is important.
Dr. S. SUJATHEN
Trivandrum Dental Specialists Group
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