At Home with Dr Christian Jessen - 80

A breath
of fresh air...

Affecting anyone at any age, bad breath can result from poor dental health habits and could be a sign of
other problems. But if you change your habits and use premium oral care products, it will soon improve...

veryone occasionally suffers
from bad breath, but for one
in four adults in the UK, it's
a chronic and somewhat
embarrassing problem. Persistent
bad breath can leave people feeling
self-conscious, under-confident and
awkward in social situations.

Some of the obvious conditions that trigger
bad breath (also known as halitosis) include
a dry mouth, a high protein diet, smoking,
alcohol and food such as garlic and onions.
However, many people do not realise that
taking common medications for everyday
health problems (both prescribed and over-thecounter), can also be the cause of chronic bad
breath. Medications which dry out the mouth
as a side effect create an anaerobic condition
where nasty sulphur-producing bacteria thrive.
Typical drugs that can cause halitosis
with prolonged use include anti-depressants
(Prozac), pain medications, cold and flu
medication (Sudafed), and anti-histamines
(Benadryl, Claritin).

An effective solution

'Many people are unaware that the medications
that they've been taking for years have actually
contributed to their bad breath and taste disorders,'
says dentist and bacteriologist, Dr Harold Katz.
'It all boils down to the unfortunate side-effects
of many medications, which include dry mouth
and alteration in
taste perception.
'Lots of people try to
get rid of the problem
with strong alcohol-based
mouthwashes, or 'fresh
breath sweets' loaded
with sugar, however, this
is a very common mistake
people make; while
some mouthwashes or
oral rinses are effective
at preventing bad breath,
you should never use

alcohol-based mouthwashes because the
alcohol makes the mouth very dry, which
will actually cause bad breath or make your
existing bad breath worse.'

High and dry

As well as prescription medications such
as antidepressants, pain medications, cold
and flu medications and antihistamines,
a dry mouth can also be caused by medical
treatments such as chemotherapy.
One of the worst known dry mouth
problems takes place when patients undergo
head and neck radiation for cancer treatment,
which can literally wipe out the salivary
glands. Sometimes the function returns
normally after treatment, but often this is
an ongoing condition that sufferers have to
endure for life, as one of those reminders of
their once life-threatening condition.
Dry mouth can also increase your risk of
developing various infections in your mouth.
Dry mouth means there is less saliva in
the mouth, therefore less oxygen. If there
is less oxygen in the oral environment the
result is an anaerobic environment meaning
'without oxygen'.
This creates the perfect environment for
odorous sulphur-producing bacteria to survive.
They can make high levels of sulphur gases
which, in turn, can make the breath - and
indeed the taste - worse, hence why
everything tastes horrid
during treatment.

Drink up

'A dry mouth provides a
"delicious" environment for
nasty microbes,' says Dr
Katz. 'Not only the type
that cause bad breath,
but also tooth decay, gum
disease, and sore throats.
This is because saliva is
nature's gift to us. It contains
natural anti-microbials that

A VITAL PART OF
ORAL HEALTH, SALIVA
HAS THREE MAIN
FUNCTIONS:

1 Provides enzymes to help with the
digestion of food

2
3

Offers a method to stabilise the pH
(keeping the acid levels in check)
Sustains high levels of oxygen in order
to keep oral tissues healthy and fresh

Drinking water
replenishes saliva,
making your mouth fresh

protect us against many of these bacteria.
Unfortunately, once these microbes gain
strength, your immune system uses available
sources to fight the invaders, thereby making
us weaker to fight another onslaught of
microbes, including cold and stomach viruses.
'That's why it's imperative to keep your mouth
as moist as possible by drinking around 1.5 litres
of water daily to help replenish your saliva.
Moreover, avoid old-fashioned mouthwash

At Home with Dr Christian Jessen

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of At Home with Dr Christian Jessen