Kissing with Confidence (Hallitosis)

Member Name: wulise

Product:	Hallitosis
Date:	22/07/02 (1374 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A treatable condition

Disadvantages: Horrid to have and horrid to experience.

This opinions is addressing the issue of Hallitosis and generalises about toothpastes.


Halitosis is a really common condition and is a common condition that can have a profound effect on personal relationships. A good toothpaste is always essential to use in preventing hallitosis. I am always conscience about my breath when kissing anyone. This stems back to my childhood. I always remember as a child having a great aunt with bad breathe. I use to hate having to kiss her goodbye. Boy, I would do anything not to be near her when she left, in fact I would often sneak to the loo and pretend not to hear her leave, just to avoid that ?kiss?. Yes, you know what I am talking about!

What really gets me is that she never knew that she had bad breath. I really do not know why as I am sure people must have avoided contact with her. I know it is embarrassing to talk about halitosis, so it is unlikely that anyone mentioned it to her. I now realise why my father always had a bowl of mints on the coffee table when she visited. He was obviously dropping a hint, but she never seemed to pick up on it.

Now as an adult I wonder what tooth paste, if any that she used or even if she ever used a mouthwash when she got ready for bed. The mouthwash helps to reduce the build-up of microorganisms that cause ?bad breath?. Brushing her teeth after every meal would have helped too, especially after food, which have strong odours such as chilli, curry, garlic or onions.

Since my childhood experience I have always been conscious how my breath smell smells. I always carry Tic Tacs in my bag as well as cleaning my teeth at least twice a day. I hate to kiss anyone if I have been eating a meal and I would never smoke knowing that that also makes the breath smell. As a nurse I have been privileged insight into many medical journals and have observed that many scientists at Universities around the world and the dental industry have studied the problem of Halitosis
. There is also a new International Society for Breath Odour Research but I have not been able to find a lot of information about it.

Did you know that many bad breath smells come from the stomach? Well this is actually a fallacy, as research has demonstrated. In fact some research by Walter Loeshe at the University of Minnesota has recently discovered that the microbes on the tongue differ from those that live in the plaque of the teeth. He found that the most offending part of the mouth for causing bad breath is the very back of the tongue. This is actually the region that the saliva finds hard to clean and numerous tiny invaginations in which the bacteria can hide. Because saliva washes away bacteria and their smelly chemicals then any thing that dries the mouth will exacerbates the problem. Tobacco is also a major cause for bad breath too. On the positive side, smoking does reduce bacteria activity but adversely it dries the mouth out, worsens gum conditions and postnasal drip, (smells originating from the sinusitis) plus the residual aroma of smoking mixing with the oral bouquet all contributes to halitosis. Today there are many different toothpastes on the market that help to combate these conditions but the underlying cause needs to be addressed.


**Other Sources of Bad Breath**

Poor oral hygiene
Gum Inflammation (gingivitis)
Faulty Dental Work
Unclean Dentures or Braces
Mouth Abscesses


**Recap on Reducing Halitosis**

1) Avoid strong smelling foods such as chilli, curry, garlic or onions etc.
2) Drink plenty of water to help reduce the mouth from drying out.
3) Increase saliva production by chewing gum or sucking sugar free mints.
4) Clean teeth after all meals.
5) Use mouthwashes a nighttime.
6) Use dental floss


**Natural Cleansing Products**

Tongue cleaning is an ancient oral hygiene routine for the Far East has now become very popular in the Wes
t today. Other natural cleaning agents are chewing anise seed, cinnamon, cloves and parsley. Many popular mouthwashes today contain eucalyptol and menthol. Another product that helps to prevent bacteria build-up is hydrogen peroxide and is also found in many mouthwashes too.


Well, I hope my advice on halitosis has helped to boost your confidence or at worst shown that it is a manageable condition. I have included why and how Halitosis is caused and also a few ways to prevent it. If you are at all worried about this problem, then visit your dentist or doctor to discuss your fears and worries; they will probably put you into the capable hands of a local hygienist. Good luck and happy and extensive confident kissing.

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