The Role of the Mouth in Bad Breath

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dr_Charles_John]Dr Charles John

"Paramount Home Entertainment" commissioned a national survey of single women aged 25 and over to find the number 1 reason why they would turn down a date. The survey was to coincide with a film starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker about a man who has yet to leave his parent's home.

Among all women surveyed the reason they would refuse a date was -

"Bad breath" - 37%

"He lives with his parents - 25%

"He dresses poorly," - 8%

"He's a sports fanatic" - 5%

"He Makes less Money than me" - 2%

"Harlequin Romance" recently ran a survey of North Americans to find out more about what turns them on and makes them tick romantically. 57% of men and 58% of women in North America all cited the same romantic relationship killer: Halitosis

That's right -halitosis was the most cited reason to 'run away from a romantic relationship' by men, beating out excessive sweating, smoking, and other unhealthy habits.

For women, the only thing considered worse about a potential mate than halitosis, was excessive drinking.

According to the survey, ladies would tolerate a man who sweat too much, smoked, had a fake orange tan and hair implants before they would become romantically involved with a man who had chronic breath odour.

"The Daily Star" recently published a survey.

Women rate bad breath as their biggest worry before a romantic encounter, with 78% fretting about it. Researchers found girls were more scared of having smelly breath than of their partner disliking their appearance. Only 4% said they were concerned about what undies to wear.

A spokeswoman, said: "If you feel happy with your teeth you'll smile, and that boosts others' perceptions of you."

Halitosis can wreck you life. It can wreck it socially, professionally and it can wreck it psychologically.

1) The Mouth.

It is estimated that up to 90% of the causes of bad breath, originate in the mouth!

a) The Tongue.

The main culprit in the mouth is the top of the tongue. It is here that huge numbers of harmless bacteria live and thrive, feeding off dead mouth cells and food debris. Some of these bacteria are called anaerobic bacteria which means they thrive in the absence of oxygen. Now the surface of the tongue is covered in tiny grooves, barely visible to the naked eye, but in comparison to bacteria, they are massive. Therefore, many, many, anaerobic bacteria can settle in the grooves, where they become covered with dead mouth cells, other bacteria and food debris. In this way, their oxygen supply is cut off, which is exactly what they love - anaerobic conditions.

All this may sound a bit unpleasant, but that's only half the story. Some of these anaerobic bacteria produce substances called Volatile Sulphour Compounds (VSCs) which smell like rotten eggs, or like decaying flesh.

"It is these VSCs that are the cause of bad breath."

Other parts of the mouth also contribute to the overall bad smell, but are not as much as the top of the tongue.

b) Inter-dental Spaces.

These are the spaces between the teeth. They are usually small pyramid-shaped areas that easily trap food, plaque and dead mouth cells, again providing ideal conditions for those VSC-producing bacteria

c) The Gums.

Bacteria growing below the gum line have a foul smell, and in my 30 years of clinical experience, diseased gums definitely involved in the production of bad breath.

d) Poor Dental treatment.

Poorly made filling, crowns, veneers, bridges etc., can trap food, plaque and the VSC-producing bacteria

2) The Nose.

The second major source of bad breath is the nose. However the odors that originate here have a different smell to those of the mouth.

Nasal odors may be due to sinus infections or foreign bodies that have become lodged (often seen in young children).

3) The Tonsils

The tonsils are considered a minor cause of bad breath, accounting for some 3-5% of cases.

However, about 7% of the population suffers from tonsiloliths that smell extremely foul and these can cause bad breath.

4) The Stomach

Some less than honest businesses, using powerful advertising, have attempted to foster the belief - that bad breath comes from the stomach rather than from the mouth.

The stomach is a very uncommon source of bad breath (except in belching). The oesophagus (a muscular tube that directs food and drink from the mouth to the stomach), is closed at the stomach end, so smells are not able to escape.

5) Systemic diseases

Bad breath that is caused by disease, is extremely rare, so I merely

include them just for the sake of completeness.

a) Chronic liver failure b) Bronchial and lung infections c) Renal infections d) Renal failure e) Some forms of cancer f) "Fish Odour Syndrome" g) Diabetes mellitus. h) Metabolic dysfunction.

If you suffered from any of the above, you would also suffer from many additional symptoms.

"You should not assume that you suffer from these conditions or diseases. Bad breath is nearly always just bad breath"

6) Diet.

There are certain foods and drinks to avoid if you wish to keep your breath fresh.

Garlic Fish Cheese Onions Meat Alcohol

Bad breath is also more common if you are obese.

So, to sum up:

"The commonest source of bad breath is the mouth and the commonest source of bad breath in the mouth is the upper surface of the tongue."

For the latest information on TMJ problems and other dental matters, please visit my blog at: http://www.tmjspecialist.org

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Role-of-the-Mouth-in-Bad-Breath&id=2550660] The Role of the Mouth in Bad Breath