The Bad Breath Blog

Alcohol in Mouthwashes Can Cause Bad Breath

In order to stop bad breath, you must stop the production of the volatile sulfur compounds. The only safe and clinically-proven way to do so is to oxidize away the sulfur compounds and the bacteria that create this problem.

For several decades the large pharmaceutical companies have made commercial products that do not oxidize away the odorous and lousy-tasting sulfur compounds created by anaerobic bacteria. After many attempts to “help” the public, the companies only would rely on masking agents which only cover up the malodor and sour, bitter tastes produced by the sulfur compounds with other stronger tastes (i.e. medicinal, minty) and fragrances.

Alcohol:

The end result was a masking chemical and high levels of alcohol. Alcohol makes your breath worse. Alcohol, in chemical terms, is classified as a DESICCANT, or DRYING AGENT. As you know from information in this website and possibly your own personal problems, the dryer your mouth gets, the worse your breath gets.

Here’s how much alcohol (in Percentage and Proof) is contained in the leading products below:

You may also ask yourself, “If those common products kill the germs that cause bad breath like they say they do, then why do I still have bad breath?”

 Ingredients in Oral Products

Here are some other strange ingredients added to mouthwash and other oral products! 

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: Stop Your Washing Your Mouth With Soap!

Unfortunately, the public is unaware of the ingredients in products they use on a daily basis. For instance, nearly every toothpaste contains an ingredient that has been proven to dry out your mouth and is now scientifically linked to canker sores. It’s called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and is placed into toothpaste (and some mouthwashes) in order to create foaming! (SLS is also the main ingredient in your shampoo – go check it out.) The harshness of this chemical has been proven to create microscopic damage to the oral tissue which lines the inside of your mouth, which then leads to canker sore production. The microscopic damage and shedding of vital oral tissues provides a protein food source to the bacteria that create the volatile sulfur compounds of halitosis and taste disorders. That’s why TheraBreath Oral Products have never contained SLS!

SLS acts just like a detergent. It is used in the laboratory as a membrane destabilizer and solubilizer of proteins and lipids. SLS is used in toothpaste to emulsify (mix) oil and water based ingredients together. In your toothpaste it creates the foam you get when brushing. Since it is classified as a soap, you will easily understand why this ingredient can cause drying inside the mouth for many individuals. The dryness is one of several factors that will lead to bad breath.

Saccharin:

Would you give saccharin to your children? Well, you are – when you provide them with children’s toothpaste from some of the major companies, take a look at their ingredients.

The only toothpaste, formulated to fight bad breath by oxidation AND which does not contain SLS & saccharin is TheraBreath!

Sodium Chlorate:

This is a chemical that is not an oxygenating compound. It sounds like a chemical used in oxygenating products, but in order for it to even start to produce oxygenation, the pH of the solution would need to have a pH of -1 (that’s right -1!). Historically, scientific papers refer to many cases of accidental sodium chlorate poisoning. Consequently, oral products containing chlorates were taken off the market in the UK over 60 years ago (Bibliography of scientific papers on sodium chlorate)!

Benzalkonium Chloride:

Benzalkonium chloride had been used for many years as a preservative in eye drops and also in nasal sprays and drops. Recently, researchers in Europe discovered that this preservative was causing a great deal of allergic reaction among users. It is now estimated that fully 10% of the population is allergic to benzalkonium chloride.

Other studies have shown a direct relationship between BKC and contact dermatitis, another allergic reaction.

Based on these facts, pharmaceutical companies have started to produce eye and nasal drops without BKC in order to provide better products to the public.

Brushing, flossing, and gargling may all be part of your daily oral hygiene routine, but taking these steps may not be enough if you have other issues.

Medications like antidepressants, diuretics, and aspirin can dry the mouth. With dry mouth, there is a lack of saliva, and saliva is what rinses away bacteria that make breath odor foul.

Bacteria – Some people may be prone to bad breath more than others. Bacteria exist on the tongue, and expel gases as they munch on food particles and other substances broken down from saliva. Also, they multiply at night, since the salivary glands slow down when you are sleeping. H. pylori, a type of bacteria that can cause stomach ulcers, can cause bad breath and gum disease if it finds a place to reside in your mouth.

Respiratory tract infections- While gum and tooth infections can cause bad breath, so can bronchitis, sinusitis, and even colds. RTIs break down tissue, which starts a flow of mucus and cells that feed bacteria that can emit foul odors.

Skipping breakfast– Not only does breakfast benefit your body and mind, but it helps to stimulate saliva production and scrub bacteria from the tongue (depending in what you eat, of course).

Diet- Low-carb diets can burn stored fat, thus creating toxic-smelling ketones. Foods that generate large amounts of amino acids, like dairy products and foods high in protein, can fuel the bacteria that produce bad breath. Obesity has also been linked with bad breath.

Breathing out of your mouth- When the tissues in your mouth are dry, saliva is prevented from washing away bacteria; thus, bad breath is encouraged. Major candidates for this are people who suffer from sleep apnea, asthma, and snoring.

Chronic illnesses- Breath that is chronically potent in a certain smell can signify a disease. For example, kidney failure can make your breath smell fishy, and uncontrolled diabetes can make your breath smell fruity.

Alcohol- Plain and simple, alcohol is dehydrating, and having a dry mouth encourages bad breath.

In the long run, not only will maintaining good oral health save you money and unwanted discomfort, but it will help prevent serious diseases. By using your toothbrush frequently, flossing daily, and using antibacterial mouthwash, you will help prevent oral trouble.

As a rule of thumb, it is much easier to prevent problems before they start than restoring your oral health after you begin having problems. Oral health issues can also cause problems in other parts of your body, since there are links between your oral health and your overall health.

As a matter of fact, diabetes and other diseases can get into the blood stream through the mouth. One major disease is oral cancer, and it kills about one-third of those diagnosed. The annual mortality rate of oral cancer is on the rise, and heavy drinking, smoking, and HPV can be associated with the increasing death rate. There are even more deaths yearly from oral cancer than there are from cervical cancer, which is much more discussed in the media.

The president of New Brunswick Dental Society, Dr. Frederic Duke, stated in a news release that there are warning signs that people should know about and have checked out. He said that if a person has a sore that lasts longer than two weeks; a swelling, lump, or growth in or around the mouth or neck; red or white patches in the mouth or on the lips; oral bleeding; or difficulty swallowing/persistent hoarseness, they should have this looked at by a dentist immediately.

Chronic bad breath can negatively affect you in social and professional situations.  Unfortunately, we do not always know if we even have bad breath.  So, how do we tell?  Here are a few ways:

1.  If you usually have a white or yellow coating on your tongue, especially on the posterior part (back), this can indicate that you may have the bacteria that causes bad breath.  Try scraping that part of your tongue.

Also, you can lick your wrist, and wait five seconds for it to dry.  Smell the odor on your wrist, and that is what your breath smells like to others.

2.  Often if you have bad tastes inside your mouth, your breath is probably just as bad.

3.  Another way to tell is if people back away from you as you talk.

4.  People offer you mints, breath strips or chewing gum.

5.  Your significant other doesn’t want to kiss you.

What are some ways to stop bad breath from happening?

1.  Improve your oral hygiene, and definitely maintain it.  Also, don’t just brush your teeth, but also floss and use oral rinse for the best results.

2.  Drink plenty of fluids (especially water), but do not drink a lot of coffee and alcohol as these can leave residues that may create worse bad breath.

3.  Eat foods high in fiber as they are very good for your oral health and general wellbeing.

4.  Try to brush your teeth, tongue, and gums immediately after eating dairy foods, fish, and meat because these foods are very heavy on smell.

5. When brushing your teeth, make sure to brush your tongue (especially the posterior where the bacteria thrive).

Happy New Year! Most of us will be starting the year with a party, singing Auld Lang Syne whiletoasting and drinking to our heart’s content.New Year’s Eve parties usually mark the end of the year past and the beginning of the coming year, and alcohol is a staple presence in these parties. It is good to keep everything in moderation — you would want to remember that party, and not have the party remember you for the wrong reasons, right?It is still possible to have great fun without losing consciousness and proper judgment. Make sure that you are sober enough to drive when you do go home, or have a sober person drive you home.

One thing that you also have to be aware of is your breath. Alcohol consumption causes bad breath, something that you wouldn’t want to have in any party.

Alcohol is one of the top bad breath instigators — just next to cigarettes. It is a DESSICANT, or drying agent that makes the anaerobic bacteria in your mouth go crazy and party along with those smelly VSC’s or Volatile Sulfur compounds. You are starting the Year of the Rat, not the year of the Dragon Breath! As you know from information in this website and possibly your own personal problem, the dryer your mouth gets – the worse your breath gets.

Here’s how much alcohol (in Percentage and Proof) is contained in the leading products below:

The most common drying agent in food is Alcohol. Alcohol of course is the basis of all “adult” beverages such as Beer, Wine, and Hard liquor. It is used quite often in laboratories to “dry out” hard to reach areas in test tubes and beakers. It is also used, unfortunately in mouthwash, where it only makes the problem worse. If you’re planning to gargle with the same old alcohol-based mouthwash just right before going to that party, or after, before you drive, stop right there.

Your current store bought mouthwash contains ALCOHOL that dries your mouth and SWEETENER that actually feeds the smelly bacteria in your mouth.

That burning sensation you get from regular mouthwash doesn’t kill the bacteria, it just irritates your mouth. We’ll show what WILL do the job quickly and effectively without irritation.

Commercial products are based on outdated theories—That alcohol can stop these problems. In fact, alcohol-based mouthwash may create poor oral health, because it dries out the mouth which in turn causes an increase of dangerous Volatile Sulfur Compounds.

Just a tiny amount of alcohol can make your mouth dry instantly. As we already know, a dry mouth mimics an anaerobic (low oxygen) environment. Now, you’ve already learned what happens when the mouth is dry – it’s a perfect environment for the anaerobes to multiply and create more bad breath! Those strong mediciny or minty tastes are actually put into the mouthwash to mask bad breath – not get rid of it! (By the way, the leading mouthwash contains 27% alcohol – that’s more than a six pack of beer, and believe me, the beer tastes better!) And another interesting point – why do they make their mouthwash blue, green, or brown? What does color have to do with getting rid of bad breath?The answer, is, nothing.

Dr. Katz has created the mouthwash that addresses the root of the bad breath problem.Therabreath mouthwash does not contain alcohol and is the best solution to getting rid of bad breath before and after alcohol intake. It contains aloe vera which is good for gum health, does not contain saccharin (a sugar that feeds the bacteria), and does not leave a stinging feeling in the mouth – falsely believed by many as a sign of great breath. Gargling with alcoholic mouthwash after drinking alcohol is like swallowing ice in a snowy, cold day – it doesn’t make sense. You are merely aggravating the drying effects of the alcohol you drank.

One thing you must also avoid aside from alcohol-based mouthwash is breath mints or gum that are sugar-based. A common “solution” to situational bad breath is to pop a sugar-based breath mint or sugar-based gum. Although you may have a cinnamon-like taste in your mouth, what you’ve really just done is made your bad breath problem MUCH worse. Let me explain:

During your party dinner, you introduced two ‘triggers’ to your mouth (protein and alcohol) that weren’t previously there and made your particular oral environment very eager to begin creating those foul-smelling VSC’s.

Then after dinner, by sucking on that mint, you actually gave those bacteria a food source they LOVE (sugar) to help along the VSC production. Yes, it’s true you TASTE cinnamon or mint, but that’s only a temporary cover up and what people actually SMELL is usually a lot worse.

Dr. Katz has invented a breath mint that really does it job. It’s called Zox — The First Breath Mint To Actually NEUTRALIZE Bad Breath Production.

Dr. Katz created ZOX because he wanted to address the fact that almost all the other ‘breath mints’ on the market DO NOT take into account the principles of halitosis prevention that he’s been studying for the last 10 years. Most of them are created to TASTE GOOD and that’s about it. ZOX was created based on the same clinically proven Zinc/Oxygen/Xylitol principles used by the rest of the TheraBreath product line. It is literally bad breath prevention science packed into a roll of breath mints.

ZOX has no sugar – your breath mint should NEVER have sugar in it. ZOX uses xylitol which is a natural sweetener and has also been proven to have tremendous anti-decay properties.

Dr. Katz also has sugar-free gum alteranatives – Therabreath gum, “French Kiss” (a cinammon flavored gum used in Hollywood) and “Guy” a gum created especially for guys.

So eat, drink, and be merry, but don’t forget to be conscious of your breath.Check out the www.therabreath.com to find the best product that will enable you to enjoy the New Year’s eve festivities (and the entire year to come) without bad breath worries. Therabreath is also available in select stores – please check out the store locator for the location nearest you.