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Tooth Talk: Oral malodor – 90 percent of bad breath originates in the mouth By Mary Ellen Volansky, EPDH, MS What better way to start the New Year than with a discussion of bad breath. Wait a minute, maybe it’s what better way to prepare for Valentine’s Day? Whatever your motivation, bad breath can be impractical and embarrassing. Bad breath, or oral malodor as the dental profession refers to it, is catego- rized into “transitory and chronic.” 1 Tran- sitory bad breath comes from food-related malodor that can last as long as 72 hours. You know the after-glow repetitive taste of spicy garlic sausage or pizza, a fresh salty green onion, alcohol and other items. Chronic causes of bad breath refer to long-standing oral or medical problems, such as sinus or throat infections or gum infections. Up to 50 percent of us suf- fer from chronic oral malodor. Half of those who suffer bad breath experience severe malodor problems sufficient to cause personal discomfort and social embarrassment. Did you know a meter has been devised to measure oral malodor? This tool is called a Halimeter as in halitosis, another word for bad breath or oral mal- odor. This instrument measures the vapor- ized molecules of sulphur compounds in mouth air, the same sulphur we smell when we get a whiff of someone’s bad breath, even our own, or rotten eggs. The first thing you can do to remove the cause of bad breath is keep your teeth clean by brushing twice a day and floss- ing daily. You knew I had to get that in somewhere in this article! But it is also true. Seeing your dentist and hygienist for regular checks is also helpful in prevent- ing bad breath. Microorganisms (and dead cells) reside on our tongue. The living critters eat the foods we put in our mouths. This process is the most common cause of oral malodor. 2 Cleaning your tongue is also a helpful step to stopping halitosis. This cleaning can be done with a tongue-scraper, a tool designed for cleaning tongues, or you can use a toothbrush. Some toothbrushes have tongue scrapers on the back of the brush head. Gently brush/scrap the surface of the tongue in a back-to-front motion. These instruments are used to dislodge food particles and bacteria from the tongue. Do this scraping after meals and/or in the morning and at night before bed. Another source of halitosis is tobacco use – smoking and chewing. When someone has just smoked a cigarette or when a person has chewing tobacco in his mouth, the tobacco gives the user’s breath an odor. Many breath sprays and mints are available for a tobacco, garlic or onion lover. As you know from how well these products actually change the taste in your mouth, they don’t work thoroughly. The only way to stop bad breath from these causes is to not use those products. OK, what about us ol’ stubborn indi- viduals, those who won’t “not use those products”? Here are some suggestions, three from the American Dental Hygien- ists Association and the last one from the University of British Columbia at Vancouver, Canada: Xylitol, so the bacteria are not making acids to dissolve our teeth. 3. Snack on celery, carrots or apples. They tend to clear away loose food and debris during the chewing process. When I was a kid, these vegetables were call “nature’s toothbrushes.” 4. Use baking soda toothpaste. Tooth- paste “containing 20% or more baking soda can confer a significant odor-reducing benefit for time periods up to three hours.” 3 This study tested toothpaste with different levels of baking soda and baking soda with zinc, silica and fluoride to come up with this recommendation. 1. Rinse your mouth with water after eating. Research I saw years ago said to swish twice with water. This will remove food particles and can sig- nificantly reduce the sugar and acid content in our mouths, which helps lower the risk of tooth decay. 2. Chew a piece of sugarless gum to stimulate saliva flow – nature’s own cleanser. Add to this a sugarless gum sweetened with Xylitol and you have two agents helping. The bacteria that cause cavities like Xylitol better than sugar. The bacteria cannot digest the Now you are armed with ways to reduce oral malodor. Happily, they also help reduce the risk of cavities. In 2013, may you have a full year of reasons to always have a bright healthy smile! 1 2 3 Want some Life Saving Advice? Ask Your Dental Hygienist About Understanding and Eliminating Bad Breath, 7/16/2010, American Dental Hygienists Assoication ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9086681 J Can Dent Assoc. 1997 Mar:63(3):196-201. The Effects of Dentifirice Systems on Oral Malodor, DrunetteDM, Proskin HM, Nelson BJ, J Clin Dent 1998;9(3): 76-82 Nominees sought for new Champions for Change award for Native youth We would like to announce an initia- tive at the Center for Native American Youth – Champions for Change. working in their Tribal or urban Indian communities to promote hope and make a positive impact. Former Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and our team invite you to engage in our work though this new program. We need you and inspirational Native youth across the country to apply and help spread the word about Champions for Change and the center. The center is calling for young American Indians across Indian Country to submit their stories of leadership and service in Tribal and urban Indian com- munities, schools and programs across the country. Champions include individuals who initiate programs, events or other efforts to improve the lives of fellow Native youth and Indian Country. The Champions for Change (CFC) program, a spinoff of a White House initiative, recognizes and encourages inspirational Native youth (age 14-24) The center invites youth to get cre- ative – submissions can be in a written CeDARR or video form. The center will collect and review these stories and then select five finalists who will be recognized at a spring 2013 event in Washington, D.C. In addition to an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., these finalists will have an opportunity to participate in a mentorship pairing, serve a two-year term on a newly created Youth Advisory Board at the center and be eligible for consideration for a future visit from a member of the center’s board of advisors Jan. 2 5:30 p.m. Siletz Public Library 255 Se Gaither, Siletz Siletz Tribal Behavioral Health Programs Prevention, Outpatient Treatment, and women’s and Men’s Transitional Siletz: 800-600-5599 or 541-444-8286 Eugene: 541-484-4234 Salem: 503-390-9494 Portland: 503-238-1512 12 • Siletz News • Narcotics Anonymous Toll-Free Help Line – 877-233-4287 For information on Alcoholics Anonymous: aa-oregon.org January 2013 Applications can be found at cnay. org/Online_Application.html. The appli- cation deadline is Jan. 31, 2013. For more information, visit cnay.org or contact the center at cnayinfo@aspen- institute.org, 202-736-2905 or Center for Native American Youth, The Aspen Institute, One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036-1133. To use mail order pharmacy to order your refills after hours and on week- ends: Please call the Siletz Clinic 7-10 days before you need your refills. This allows us time to contact your provider, if necessary, and for mailing. • Call 800-648-0449; enter 1624 as soon as the clinic’s message begins – you’ll be transferred to the refill line. • Or call the refill line direct – 541-444-9624. Community efforts Demonstrating the Ability to Rebuild and Restore Mission Statement: We will utilize resources to prevent the use of alcohol and other drugs, delinquency and violence; we will seek to reduce the barriers to treatment and support those who choose abstinance. to their home community to share more about their initiative for change.
