Article on Halitosis gets it Mostly Right
Getting rid of halitosis isn’t always easy. Heck, even writing about eliminating bad breath can be a bit of a challenge. The details of oral odor aren’t always so simple to disentangle, which is why we’d like to address a few below.
Recently, Dr. Katz talked to MSN HIM about the causes of oral odor and the best halitosis treatments. The news source did a great job of hitting all the major offenders: low saliva flow, prescriptions that cause dry mouth, dehydration, tonsil stones, deep grooves in the surface of the tongue, smoking, dietary proteins – even alcohol-based mouthwashes!
However, we’d like to offer a few small corrections on detecting oral odor, as well as the best halitosis treatments available.
The source noted that it’s possible to smell your own bad breath by exhaling into your cupped hands and then quickly sniffing. This is a common misconception, since most of us have tried the method but few of us can recall being sure afterward whether we had halitosis. If breathing into our hands really worked, we’d always know if we stunk, and take appropriate countermeasures.
To definitely discover whether your mouth is funky, try licking the back of your hand instead. Then sniff the spot to see if it has an odor. This method is just as discreet, while having the benefit of actually working!
Also, keep in mind that triclosan (an odor-fighting ingredient mentioned in the article) is probably best left alone. Besides being an irritant, this chemical is technically a pesticide. It’s generally better to use specialty breath fresheners that contain all-natural ingredients.
Tags: halitosis treatments, Triclosan
