Which Bad Breath Odor Do you Have?
Which Bad Breath Odor Do you Have?
There are so many Americans that have bad breath and to even begin to count or take a census would be near impossible. Many people are walking around oozing with chronic bad breath symptoms, some people are releasing transient bad breath odor, and still others have serious systemic bad breath malodor coming from our mouths as we speak. Almost everyone has suffered from this problem at one time or another. Now that you know that your breath stinks, is there a way to determine what type of bad breath odor you have?
Organoleptic: This type of testing of a person’s bad breath (halitosis) is done by way of the judge using their sense of smell (their nose) as the means for making the finding. Obviously, there is no shortage on the supply of noses and they are readily available, inexpensive to obtain and operate, and to its credit, noses can detect up to 10,000 different smells. Can anyone see a problem with this? The problem encountered with organoleptic testing is that it does not provide an evaluation of bad breath that is totally objective. Factors other than breath odors can and do influence organoleptic evaluations, such as hunger, menstrual cycle, head position, and the degree of attentiveness and expectation can each influence a judge's interpretation of what they smell.
As for quantifying the organoleptic measurement itself, what exactly does establish a weak, strong, or average level of bad breath (halitosis)? How does each judge make equivalent comparisons? The issue becomes more perplexing due to the fact that when people are exposed to a bad odor, our sense of smell adapts to the odor and therefore our sense of smell loses much of its sensitivity. Bad breath (halitosis) that seems exceedingly objectionable at the beginning of testing may not seem so bad as the evaluation continues.
Gas Chromatography: This method of detecting breath odors have been utilized by dental providers as a means of detecting the exact levels of specific compounds present.
Halimeters: The Halimeter has been developed to provide a method of detecting sulfide gases, which are found in a person’s breath. Some volatile sulfur compounds (vsc) are known for being the cause for bad breath (halitosis). Halimeters test only for sulfides and therefore provide a less determinate evaluation of a person’s bad breath (halitosis). As with other methods chemical compounds such as alcohol and ingredients found in mouthwashes can interfere with the Halimeters reading.
The Bana Test: Some of the bacteria that cause gum disease (periodontal) produce waste products that are quite odiferous and as a result contribute to the presence of bad breath.
Chemiluminescence: The way chemiluminescence works is the dentist takes a sample containing volatile sulfur compounds (vsc) and then mixes it with mercury compound. The resulting action causes fluorescence indicating the presence of malodor.
Transient bad breath: As the word “transient” implies, it is bad breath (halitosis) that is neither chronic nor problematic on a daily basis. The primary cause of transient bad breath (halitosis) is conditions such as dryness of the mouth, stress, hunger, and of course the occasional indulgence in certain foods such as garlic, onions, and spicy foods along with poor oral hygiene. Morning breath is a great example of transient bad breath (halitosis).
Chronic bad breath: Chronic bad breath (halitosis) is typically caused by unrelenting overpopulation of certain types of oral bacteria.
Fetor Hepaticus: Now this is a type of bad breath that requires immediate intervention by a medical professional and if you experience it you already know that. Fetor Hepaticus is caused by chronic liver failure. It has been said to resemble the smell of a freshly opened corpse.
Treatments Available:
Chronic bad breath (halitosis) is not very well understood or even recognized as a treatable condition by most doctors and dentists. 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 for mutations, any one particular product may be effective for some, partly effective for a few, and not all helpful for others.
A very small number of clinics use a detailed assessment process including microbiology to determine the specific type of 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.
In conclusion, there are several options available to determine they type of breath odor you may have as well as the treatments available. If in doubt as to the degree of breath odor you are experiencing visit your dentist or health care professional.
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