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5 Things You Must Know About Halitosis

Doctors and dentists know for a fact that bad odor of the breath comes primarily from the teeth, throat, and mouth and is usually because of tooth decay or infection of the tissues.

There are five things that you must know about halitosis.

1. The term "halitosis" is a scientific name for bad breath, which became popular because of the promotion of a mouth wash. There is no mouth wash known that has the power to prevent a bad or foul odor because of a tooth decay or from infection. It can only temporarily wash away the infected material but it cannot totally address the main problem. It is only through the medical treatment of the removal of the cause of the infection or decay which can prevent the foul odor permanently.

2. It is only through regular dental check-up that a tooth decay be determined properly. Cleanliness of the teeth is controlled only by the proper use of the toothbrush and together with the appropriate toothpaste, solution or tooth powder according to the preference of the individual or person.

3. In some occasions, infected tonsils can be the cause and source of halitosis or bad odor. The little crypts or pockets in the tonsils become filled with infectious materials and decaying particles of food. This materials or residues will give off a bad odor with each breath. The attending physician or doctor may squeeze out thees crypts and cleanse the surfaces that are left through the use of antiseptic solutions. Gargles will sometimes and to some extent, will wash off the surfaces, but few people are able to gargle down to the points that are desired and involved. If the tonsils are seriously infected and there is really a foul odor from the infected throat, surgery may be recommended and necessary to address and produce a cure.

4. Infections in the nose with crusting may be also associated with halitosis or foul breath. The diagnosis as well as the treatment of such a condition is a problem for the specialist. Washing the nose and the cavity behind the nose is a procedure which needs and requires special training. Sometimes, the stomach and the lungs develop materials which give a bad smell to the breath.

5. Garlic can be eliminated from the blood through the lungs and thus contaminate the breath. In one experiment people swallowed raw chopped garlic in double gelatin capsules, so that none of the garlic could possibly come into contact with the mouth or the teeth. The odor of the garlic still appeared on the breath just as soon as it was released in the stomach and continued even when the garlic had passed from the stomach into the intestines. There is one way to overcome the odor, and that is to used flavored oils, which will cover it up with a nice odor. Some mouth washes accomplish this result by substituting for the odor that is to removed the odor of the mouth wash. Masking of an odor is not in any sense a cure for halitosis.