The Bad Breath Blog

So, it’s common knowledge that bad breath isn’t something that people are too fond of.  It can hurt friendships, work relationships, romances, and so on.  Allegedly, Barack Obama wakes up ‘stinky and snory’, according to his wife Michelle!

Now, in the United Kingdom, a machine that is 50 times more sensitive than the human nose exists that can supposedly get rid of halitosis – for good!  This gas chromatography machine measures and identifies the three primary types of bad breath-causing bacteria.  It doesn’t just say if someone has halitosis, but it specifically identifies the kinds of molecules that are causing the problem.  This helps dental professionals target the halitosis more precisely.  This machine was developed in Australia, and it costs around £8,000 (which is over $12,000 in America).   The machine works by having patients give a breath sample into a plastic syringe, and it usually gives results within 15 minutes. 

After diagnosing the bad breath, the dentists recommend nasal flushes, medicated mouthwash, etc., in order to banish the anaerobic bacteria causing the bad breath.  Depending on where the anaerobic bacteria is located (i.e. mouth, throat, or nose), it gives off different smells.  The tongue is usually the culprit if the bad breath is coming from the mouth, since the smell could be comng from proteins being broken down into amino acids.  In the throat, bad breath often comes from the tonsils, from certain growths that are usually formed by food debris.  Tonsil stones are not uncommon.  Through the nose, sinus infections and excess mucus (post nasal drip) often cause bad smells.