Transient bad breath is a very familiar temporary condition caused by such things as oral dryness, stress, hunger, eating certain foods such as garlic and onions, smoking, and poor oral hygiene. Morning breath is a typical example of transient bad breath. It can negatively impact the individual's personal and business relationships, leading to poor self-esteem and increased stress. This condition is usually caused by persistent overpopulation of certain types of oral bacteria, primarily streptococcus mutans, and requires specialized treatment. Xerostomia will increase bad breath problems. Fetor hepaticus is a type of bad breath caused by chronic liver failure.

Causes

Though the causes of breath odor are not entirely understood, most unpleasant odors are known to arise from food debris trapped in the mouth which is processed by normal mouth flora. There are all over 400 types of bacteria found in the average mouth. Several dozen of these can cause trouble when allowed to flourish or are genetically disposed to overpopulate. Large quantities of these naturally-occurring bacteria are often found on the posterior of the tongue, where they are undisturbed by normal activity. The rough surface of the tongue dorsum provides an ideal habitat for anaerobic bacteria, which flourish under a continually-forming tongue coating of food debris, dead cells, and hundreds of thousands of bacteria, living and dead. Other causes of chronic bad breath may be periodontitis, helminthiasis, diabetes, kidney failure, sinusitis, tonsilloliths, gastroesophageal reflux disorder, trimethylaminuria, hormonal changes, and a wide variety of prescription drugs.

Treatment

Currently, chronic halitosis is not very well understood or even recognized as a treatable condition by most doctors and dentists, so effective treatment is difficult to find. There are a growing number of bad breath clinics responding to this endemic problem; unfortunately, most are simply outlets for one breath product or another. As with all general-purpose formulations, any one particular product may be effective for some, partly effective for a few, and not at all helpful for others. A very small number of clinics use a detailed assessment process including microbiology to determine the specific type or types of odor-causing bacteria. The specific bacteria are then controlled by individualized treatments. This procedure results in a very high success rate. Some, who take a more holistic view of the body, including naturopaths and alternative nutritionist, believe that halitosis can be cured or greatly diminished by improving the overall health of the digestive tract, especially the small and large intestines. This process usually requires a change in eating style, lifestyle, and diet.

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