Treatment of Bad Breath

Bad Breath, halitosis, oral mal odour, call it what you will. Everybody knows what "bad breath" is and what it smells like. Funny thing about breath is that it is always more noticeable in other people - never yourself. We get clues from people close by that maybe our breath is not all that fresh. But what can we do about it? We can't always tell if it is or it isn't.

To detect or identify bad breath you need a "confidant" or a buddy who doesn't mind telling you straight. Once your trusty pal confirmed that yes, you did actually have bad breath, you need to get "appropriate" help.

Sure, there are plenty of mouth freshening products on the market, ranging from chewing gum, mouth rinse, gels, sprays to lozenges. They may have a varying degree of success but they have one thing in common - they are all masking agents, which interfere with the detection of odour by the nose, but never actually remove the cause of the odour.

Over 80% of the bad breath are caused by bacteria in the mouth producing volatile sulphur containing compounds which give the characteristic odour that we are all familiar with. These bacteria can reside on the tongue and in gum "pockets". Gum tissues form "pockets" around your teeth as a result of Periodontal disease. Bacteria and food debris collected in these pockets can become a constant producer of "sulphur-containing" gases and hence bad breath.

Therefore, effective oral hygiene alone is not always enough to rid yourself of the bad odour. If you have periodontal disease or gingivitis, you need treatment by a professional. The Periodontist is specially trained to deal with all forms of gum disease effectively and efficiently. So, if you suspect that you might have periodontal disease, call a Periodontist's office for an appointment immediately.