Most of us know that the offensive odor coming out of someone’s mouth can be associated with poor oral hygiene, gingivitis, caries, tonsilitis, tonsillar plaques, various foods, tobacco, dehydration, and various diseases in the body.  Homeopathy can be an effective cure for chronic bad breath because it treats the individual as a whore rather than targeting certain parts/organs.  Sometimes for a permanent bad breath cure, it can work if the physical, emotional, mental and social spheres of a person are targeted.  If these spheres are not in equilibrium, that’s when things tend to go awry. 

When using homeopathy to treat halitosis, it is important to note the other symptoms that a person is having.  Sometimes excess stress can attribute to bad breath.   In order to figure out the best remedy, one should take these precautions beforehand:

• Correct oral hygiene in the morning/bedtime
• Clearing saliva and nasal secretions often as well as clearing the throat
• Regular dental checkups for filling pockets or erosions, and avoidance of gum/dental problems
• Keep hydrated to prevent dry mouth and wash away food particles
• Use tongue scraper

Also, you should avoid:

• Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and other stimulants
• Dairy products
• Garlic, onions
• Chocolates and other sweets

Also, underlying health conditions should be ruled out by doing the following:

• Endoscopy (sinuses)
• CT scan (nasal obstruction, lung issues, etc)
• Blood tests (diabetes, infections, allergies, metabolic diseases)
• Urine tests (diabetes, ketone bodies, metabolic diseases)

Temporary treatments:

• Cleansers, pastes, mouthwash, mouth deodorants, tongue scrapers/wipers
• Chewing gum increases salivary gland production
• Cloves, camphor, cardamom, green pudhina leaves, guava leaves, betel leaves can mask the foul stench

Permanent treatment can only be successful if the root cause of the halitosis is diagnosed.  These treatments should be given for issues like recurring colds, sinusitis, dental issues, gingivitis, stomatitis, indigestion, and so on. 

Homeopathic remedies for bad breath most commonly are: Asafoetida, Baptisia, Baryta mur, Benzoic acid, Bromium, Calc carb, carbolic acid, Carbo animalis, Carbo veg, Crot – hor, Graphites, Hepa sulf, Kali sulp, Merc sol, Nat sulp, Nit acid, Opium, Plantago, Psorinum, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox, Sepia, Silicea, Staphysagria, Sulphur, Tarentula, Tellurium, Thuja, and Tuberculinum.

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A recent survey about hygiene was done by a dental hygienist.  She asked questions dealing with teeth and other aspects of keeping clean.

Teeth Survey Results

Experts say that ideally you should brush three times a day and floss at least once a day.  Two brushings a day is usually the bare minimum recommended for maintaining good oral hygiene.  Biofilm, also known as plaque, is one of the main reasons it is necessary to brush.  The least amount of damage it can do is cause cavities, and it can even cause periodontal disease (gum disease) and bone loss.

Biofilm has even more serious threats than tooth loss!  Scientists have also seen the same bacteria found in cavities in clogged blood vessels. Since biofilm can threaten the teeth and the ability to eat, it can even affect the immune system negatively. Gum disease, as we have read before in articles about pregnancy gingivitis, can affect pre-term babies in a negative manner as well. Bad breath is also an obvious consequence of biofilm.

People must acknowledge that poor oral hygiene and maintenance can have devastating long-term consequences, since the mouth and the rest of the body are all inter-related.

According to the survey results, only 12% of people said they brushed more than twice a day; 41% said twice a day, 42% only once a day, and 5% said they went a full day without brushing sometimes.  Roughly half of people brush as much as they should!

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As we all know, bad breath (halitosis) is a socially embarrassing issue, with a huge list of causes: everything from dry mouth, oral decay, medicines, excessive smoking, dentures, and gum disease. Luckily, as a problem with many causes, there are also many cures.

Many remedies have been tested for stopping halitosis, most of which are temporary. The best way to tackle bad breath for the long haul is to target the underlying cause. This can be done by improving oral hygiene, getting rid of gum/periodontal disease, and having oral fixtures removed. Aromatherapy is yet another cure for bad breath. Yes, another home treatment! The effects of aromatic essential oils tend to be longer-lasting. The use of it as a bad breath remedy is increasing throughout the world, since it has other benefits on top of halting halitosis.

Essential Oils & Bad Breath

Even though essential oils are taken from plants, they can be toxic when ingested, depending on which one you use and how much of it. It is recommended that one should confer with a doctor prior to using essential oils, so that one can find the essential oil that is most suitable. Some should also be diluted prior to use, like tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is anti-bacterial, and can be used to kill the bad breath-causing bacteria in the oral cavity.

In our toothpastes and mouthwashes, one may find that peppermint and fennel essential oils are commonly used. One can also create his or her own mouthwashes with these oils, depending on how much one knows about these oils. For instance, one can mix tea tree oil with warm water and rinse the mouth out twice a day with it. For a fast treatment, one can use a drop of peppermint oil on the tongue and hold it for a few minutes. Spearmint, lavender, cardamom and almond essential oils are also used to cure bad breath.

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According to sources, it can be quite beneficial for those with halitosis to drink a little bit of apple cider vinegar each day (preferably  mixed with something else, due to the taste).  The benefits that you reap depend on how dedicated you are to your health, since not everyone can handle drinking this. 

Apple cider vinegar is actually a natural anti-bacterial agent and it contains potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chlorine, sodium, sulfur, copper, iron, silicon and fluorine, all of which the human body need. It is created by crushing fresh apples and having them mature in wooden barrels. The fermentation properties of the apples are accelerated. When vinegar matures, it has a dark web-like bacterial foam called “mother”. Natural vinegars that have the “mother” have nutrients that vinegars available in stores do not have, so it is recommended that you get Natural Apple Cider Vinegar (with an average pH level of 5-7).

Since apple cider vinegar has acidic properties, it actually serves as a bad breath / halitosis cure. It also helps with the following ailments: sinus infections, sore throats, high cholesterol, skin conditions, food poisoning, allergies (in both humans and animals), immune system problems, muscle fatigue after exercising, metabolism issues, constipation, arthritis, gout, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections.

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Note from Dr. Katz’ desk:

As a dentist specializing in the treatment of halitosis, I have treated over ten thousand patients through the California Breath Clinics. I typically start each first consultation with a brief overview I thought would be helpful to share with you. It goes a little something like this…

Everyone has the germs responsible for bad breath living on their tongue and in the back of their throat. Under the right circumstances, those germs will cause bad breath. The trick to always having fresh breath is stopping those bad breath germs from gobbling up protein, digesting it, and excreting sulfur all over your mouth… Sorry about painting that picture, but it’s a very accurate description of what takes place in your mouth every day.

Luckily, it’s not complicated to keep bad breath bacteria in check. Here are five simple and common sense tips you can use every day to minimize opportunities for halitosis to strike:

1. Drink plenty of water

It’s good for you. It keeps you strong, thin, healthy, and young looking. It also keeps your breath fresh. A well hydrated mouth is one rich with saliva. Saliva is your body’s own and most effective germ fighter. Drink more water, have more saliva, control mouth germs, have fresher breath. Simple, right?

2. Check your prescriptions

Medication that may improve your overall health may also improve the environment for bad breath germs. Many prescriptions have dry mouth as a side effect. Dry mouth means a lack of saliva and rampant bacterial growth. If you experience Dry Mouth from prescriptions, using a regimen such a TheraBreath Toothpaste and Oral Rinse will help restore a healthy amount of moisture and encourage saliva production. A healthy level of saliva is necessary to maintain fresh breath.

3. Rinse after every meal (even if it’s only with water)

Most people brush only once a day. As a dentist, it’s disappointing to say the least. That means that food you have at breakfast after your morning brushing has a chance to feed bacteria in your mouth for 23 or so hours. That’s more than enough time to not only feed bad breath bacteria but to encourage plaque and decay. If I can’t get you to brush after every meal, at least rinse with drinking water. Swish it around vigorously to remove traces of sugars and proteins and dislodge any food that may stick in between teeth and gums. Then spit or swallow, as the occasion dictates.

Remember however that water will simply remove pollutants that will feed bacteria that cause bad breath. To effectively control this bacteria you will need to use a toothpaste and mouthwash with an active ingredient such as TheraBreath. And don’t be like most people… remember to brush every morning AND every night. Your dentist will thank you.

4. Protein supplements feed germs too

Many nutritional supplements like whey and creatine are a germs perfect snack. It makes sense. Those supplements are designed to rapidly and efficiently feed your body. On the way to your stomach they feed hungry germs in your oral cavity as well. If you are taking protein supplements make sure you carefully and thoroughly brush and rinse after every dose. Don’t give bad breath germs a free meal.

5. A white or yellow tongue means germs are having a party

The colored coating on your tongue is actually a layer of bacteria waste. There, I said it. If your tongue has a thick coating that is white or yellow, it typically means bacteria are running wild. You will usually see such a coating if you forgot to brush the night before, after drinking alcohol which both feeds bacteria and dries your mouth, or if you are having a minor sore throat or other bacterial infection.

To help the problem, clean your tongue as well as the inside of your cheeks with either a tongue scraper or toothbrush covered with TheraBreath Toothpaste. This will quickly remove the coating and begin to control the bacteria producing it. Left unchecked, this bacteria can lead to much worse oral care problems than simple halitosis.

My patients have always found these tips helpful, and I hope you will too.

Yours in good health,

Dr. Harold Katz

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Dr. Katz discusses how to spot and stop bad breath on KSWB Fox 5 San Diego. Do you have bad breath?

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Many people are beginning to understand with probiotics that not all bacteria are bad.  In fact, probiotics have been contributing to good health for years. With an increasing demand of probiotics, people are requesting that they be available in forms other than yogurt and oral dietary supplements.  Consumers want more choices, since some people are sensitive to certain kinds of processing (i.e. temperature).  However, with constantly-improving technology, probiotics are being used in a broader market of goods.

The thought of beneficial bacteria has become more popular with the public, since studies have shown that probiotics can aid the immune system in the fight against the “bad guys”.  More and more yogurt brands are boasting probiotics on their labels, and companies are continuing to find ways to implement good bacteria strains into other foods that are not cultured by tradition.  This doesn’t necessarily mean a consumer will purchase this product, since a company tried adding probiotics to cheese, and this product didn’t sell too well.  This is because a consumer is not generally looking for cheese to add health benefits to a meal; instead, he or she usually uses cheese to add taste to what is being eaten.

People tend to be the most comfortable with probiotics being added to oral health care products, since strains of bad bacteria reside in the mouth, gums and teeth, and these bacteria can cause tooth enamel and gum disease.  Two of the most popular products that have received a high increase in growth are gums and mints, since functional gum has jumped 10% between 2007-2008.  A current trend in consumer education is people learning about the role that good strains of bacteria have in staying healthy and recovering one’s health. 

Streptococcus mutans is one of the Lactobacillus strains that work against enamel-eroding bacteria, and people can expect this strain to appear in gums and mints.  A sugar-free gum that came out recently contains the strain Lactobacillus reuteri, and there are mints that contain a mixture of strains L. reuteri, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosis and L. acidophilus, which target bad breath-causing bacteria.  Another company has developed a breath mint that features Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus uberis, and Streptococcus rattus, all targeted at preventing and fighting dental decay and halitosis.  Surprisingly, there is even a strain of bacteria called Streptococcus oralis that actually has a whitening effect on the teeth, since it crowds out bad bacteria on the teeth’s surface. 

Pharmaceutical companies are creating different probiotic breath mints that will be designed for improving oral health, and lasting much longer than current probiotics without being stored in cold temperatures.  An important thing for manufacturers to remember is that the new oral care products being made need to use bacteria that exist naturally in the oral cavity, otherwise they will not last long in the mouth. 

 There are over 400 different species of bacteria in the digestive, and all of these strains are competing for space to inhabit.  In general, the good bacteria can crowd out the bad bacteria, which is why consuming probiotics can be helpful for those who have diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, lactose indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, H. pylori (ulcer-causing bacteria) problems, and colon cancer.  It is also worth pointing out that these bacteria exist all over the body, including the mouth, skin, reproductive organs and other membranes.  Ingesting probiotics can even be beneficial for those with allergies, autism, arthritis, and liver and kidney problems.  

One of the major areas for probiotic’s growth in the market may be in immune defense, since probiotics can benefit the immune system’s response.  Immunity is related to gut health, and research has shown that probiotics improve cold and flu symptoms, allergic rhinitis and pollen allergies.  Asia and Europe have already been linking probiotics with immune health for many years, but the U.S. only recently caught on.  Probiotics also are known to prevent certain infections, so it may be useful with epidemics like the swine flu.  Various strains of bacteria have relieved fever symptoms, viral respiratory infections, and pneumonia. 

Probiotics, especially Lactobacilli, are effective in aiding the immune response and increasing the resistance to pathogens.  Newer territories that researchers are exploring are the effects of probiotics on inflammatory disease, cholesterol reduction and even anti-aging properties, post-myocardial infarction depression and stress management.  Even more surprising, there is groundbreaking research that probiotics can be beneficial in infant formulas, vaginal microbiota, and satiety (for weight management).

 A major challenge in administering probiotics is getting the right dosage, and making sure the correct strains go to the correct places in the body.  It is far from simple, and one of the major challenges that face manufacturers is heat, since it destroys the beneficial flora.  The ingredients in the probiotic supplements must be able to tolerate the handling, storage, processing, shelf-life issues, and the tempestuous environment of the acid in the stomach.  The limited amount of conditions that probiotics can handle seldom allow for applications outside of refrigerated supplements; however, more and more companies are improving the probiotics’ survival, so they are more protected- with longer shelf lives and slower releases.  With new technology constantly being released, some companies have even created a probiotic chocolate, and up and coming probiotic applications in cereal bars, cereals, ice creams, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, meal replacements, and biscuits.  Probiotics in hot tea and soup have even been made possible with these new advances in technology.  Last but not least, topical and personal care applications are now possible with probiotics, since antifungal and antiviral properties can be brought out during a process of fermentation.

 Currently, one of the main trends is pairing probiotics with other probiotics, since this enhances the probiotics’ ability to survive.  With the ever-changing and improving research, technologies and education of probiotics, innovators will continue to deliver new and improved products geared at improving everyone’s health. 

Source: Natural Products Insider

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A condition called Zenker’s diverticulum is yet another cause of bad breath. A diverticulum is a small pouch, and with this condition, the pouch sticks out from the back of the throat and adjacent part of the esophagus. It usually forms later in life, and the affected people usually complain about food sticking in their throats. Usually, the food is stuck in the pouch, and is actually undergoing digestion there. Sometimes, the partially digested food is regurgitated back into the mouth, thus causing halitosis. Furthermore, the sufferers of this condition may have coughing and choking as symptoms.

Surgery can be performed in order to fix this problem, and this can be done by making small incisions, and the pouch can be removed with special instruments and a scope. Sometimes the pouch can be removed without any incision, and the scope being sent down the throat.

Keep in mind, though, Zenker’s diverticulum is rare, and halitosis is common.

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 Most of us know now that bad breath (halitosis) can be caused by: cavities; dentures; smoking; alcohol; lung, tonsils, adenoid, sinus or throat infections; certain foods (garlic, onions, high sugar products, spicy foods, dairy products); poor oral hygiene; and so on.  We’ve also discussed many different possible cures.  Here are some natural remedies you may not have suspected:

• Bee Propolis (a resinous mixture that is collected by bees from tree buds and other sources) helps gum infections, as well as other infections.  Obviously, if one is allergic to bees, he or she should not try this method of diffusing bad breath.  Propolis has been used as an antimicrobial, emollient, immunomodulator, dental anti-plaque agent,anti-tumor growth agent, and even in food and musical instruments.
• Drink water to moisten the mouth, which increases the strength of saliva in the mouth, that cleanses the bad breath bacteria
• Use a tongue scraper to help remove bacteria
• Use an odorless form of garlic, which is a natural antiobiotic
• Zinc also has an antibacterial effect
• Add half a lemon to a glass a water, and gargle with it
• When brushing the gums and tongue, use powdered cloves, an herbal remedy for bad breath.  One can keep cloves under the molars without chewing to help maintain fresh breath.
• Avoid foods like blue cheese, salami, curry, tuna, garlic, onions, anchovies, red meat, milk, coffee, cola, etc.
• Parsley is a natural deodorizer
• Cardamom is a breath sweetener
• Cranberries help fight off the bad breath-causing bacteria
• Eating a green/raw Guava will help stop bad breath
• Fruits that are high in Vitamin C, like citrus and oranges, will help control the bad bacteria
• Eucalyptus Oil is found in many toothpastes and other oral products because it has an active antiseptic ingredient, Eucalyptol
• Sometimes chewing on sugarless gum or eating sugarless candies will help keep the mouth moist and not contribute to the growth of bad oral bacteria
• Edible camphor helps against bad breath caused by tonsilitis, sinusitis, and head colds, since it is a very effective throat stimulant.  It helps get rid of clogged mucus, making it a natural and effective nasal decongestant. 

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Prevent bad breath today by listening to Dr. Katz’ instructions on ABC News about the cures.

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