Halitosis? Bad Breath? Dragon Breath? What do I Do?

 
Halitosis

So how do you tell someone that they have bad breath? How many times have you wondered about your own breath?

Halitosis is a hard conversation topic & uncomfortable critique for someone to either give or receive. I can’t give you advice on how to be the social conversationalist about the subject, but I can arm you with knowledge on ways to eliminate it in your own life.

First let’s discuss the science behind bad breath. Odors in our breath come from different sources. A common source is the metabolites of the food we eat that are exhaled through our lungs. An example includes the garlic breath that occurs 24 hrs after eating dinner at “ The Stinkin Rose” restaurant in San Francisco. A restaurant famous for everything garlic! Or, the distinct breath of someone on a high protein diet or the diabetic in ketoacidosis. Most mouth odors however, come from the by-products of bacteria feeding on the same food we eat. Bacteria are found on our gums, teeth, throat, nasal passages, and especially our tongue.

These bacteria produce compounds called VSC’s (volatile sulphur compounds) These cause the offensive odors. Some of the names of these VSC’s are :
Hydrogen Sulfide: Rotten Egg Smell
Methylmercaptan: Present in Feces
Putrescine: Decaying Meat
Isovaleric Acid: Smelly Feet

80% of these VSC producing bacteria are found on the tongue, especially the far back side you can’t see unless you stick your tongue out & look in the mirror.

So, now you know the science and are aware of the possibility that these VSC’s could be lurking in your mouth, making you want to brush & floss 5 times a day. What can you do about it?????

metabolite odors from the food you eat – water, water, water…. Just flush it from the system. For the other metabolite odors you may need to see your doctor, or dietician.

The volatile sulphur compound odors are best treated from a systematic approach of reducing the bacteria count and breaking apart the VSC’s they produce.

Get yourself to the dentist & hygienist to have your teeth/gums cleaned professionally
Drink plenty of water and avoid things that dry your mouth out such as alcohol. Chew gum with xylitol (a non-fermentable sugar)
Scrape your tongue, tongue scraping is the single most impactful habit you can start today. Ask for a tongue scraper at your next cleaning, we’ll give you one free, or just stop by & ask for one. Tongue scrapers work a lot better than just brushing your tongue with your toothbrush.
If you like using a mouthwash use one that
does not have alcohol
has chlorine dioxide in it, ie; ClosysII, chlorine dioxide rips apart VSC’s (www.closys.com) we carry ClosysII products
has zinc chloride, ie; Breath RX
Listerine just came out with Listerine Zero- we have found it pleasant tasting, minus the dry puckering effect of the alcohol.

Well there you have it, maybe you can bring up the topic with that fetid breath co-worker or loved one by saying you read this great email from your dentist. We hope this information is helpful and just maybe they will get the message and take action!

Hopefully you learned something from this email in the process.We will be  producing these educational articles from time to time, simply to raise awareness of dental issues and to educate our patients.  If you have a topic that you would like to learn more about, simply comment on this post or drop us an email at candhdentistry@yahoo.com    We would love to hear from you!

Dr. Couch and Dr. Hammond your El Dorado County family dentists!

Happy Tongue Scraping!

So much going on at Couch and Hammond Dentistry!

We have just finished making the mouthguards for Ponderosa High School football team.  This is our eighth year donating these to the teams and we feel good about knowing that we are helping to protect their smiles.

Football time!

At Couch and Hammond Dentistry,we want kids in sports to be protected from unnecessary mouth injuries and head trauma. Did you know that sports mouthguards can help in this? Not only do they protect your child’s teeth from injury but they can also help prevent concussions from head trauma. We make custom mouthguards for all athletes. Give us a call to help you protect your child from unneccessary injury.

We need your help!!! We have several computers in our office that we have had to replace because of drive space that we would love to donate locally. If you know of a need for these computers we would love to hear from you! Please call our office at 530-677-0723

Did you know that we have a August and September special that we are running in our office right now? Check it out at our website at http://couchandhammonddentistry.com/.   If you are in need of dental products, now is the time to pick them up!

BIG NEWS!!! We have produced a Music Video!!Yes, you read that correctly! A MUSIC VIDEO!

It has just been released on you tube and you don’t want to miss it! It has some of our patients, our staff and office family in it!  It is so much fun! Check it out now on our website at http://couchandhammonddentistry.com/   by scrolling to the end of the introduction video and clicking on the ”I Smile Parody Video” link.  Or click on this link…http://youtu.be/mNzxcKc8bN0  So much fun! Are you smiling?

We have a newsletter that will be hitting the press soon! The first one is on “halitosis” (bad breath)! Yikes! Our patients will be receiving it via email, or you can read it here on our blog soon!

Are you getting enough SMILEAGE out of your office visits? Do you know all of the services that our office offers? You might be surprised! Check out our menu of services below……

SMILEAGE MENU

This is just a sample of the services we provide. If there is something you don’t see – please ask!

Cosmetic Services

Tooth-colored fillings

Tooth-colored inlays and onlays

Metal-free crowns and bridges made of porcelain and/or ceramic. Ask us which is best for you!

Porcelain veneers

Smile makeovers without braces

Cosmetic bonding

Cosmetic tooth reshaping

Laser dentistry with Biolase lasers

Scalpel-free gum surgery

Needle-free drill-free fillings

Preventive services

Brushing and flossing instruction with video

Preventive cleanings

Oral cancer screening

Sealants to prevent cavities

Fluoride treatments for children and adults

Athletic mouth guards

Dental photography

Implant Dentistry

Placement of implants, including “mini-implants”

Implant-anchored dentures

Implant-anchored crowns and bridges

Financing made simple with CareCredit

Tooth Whitening

In office treatment

Take home custom-made trays

Orthodontics

Invisalign “retainer” treatment

“Six-Month Smiles”

Periodontal (gum) Services

Non-surgical gum treatment

Antibiotic gum therapy

Scalpel-free laser gum surgery

Traditional gum therapy

NTI Device

Laser Biostimulation for TMJ pain

Mouthguards and therapeutic splints

Dentures

Full dentures

Partial dentures

Metal- free partial dentures

Denture repairs/relines/adjustments

Children’s Dentistry

Complete dental treatment for all ages

Special children’s play area – we love kids!

Seven Day Emergency Care

For your safety, we use DEXIS Digital X-ray. Digital x-rays help us see your teeth and surrounding structures more accurately AND produce up to 90% less radiation!

Our office just completed our CPR re-certification! We always have a good time together, even when we are working! Not only is it mandatory but it makes us happy that we know that we are ready in the event of an emergency!

Lastly, Look for our new sign on Cameron Park Drive. Coming soon! We are excited about our sign that will help all of our patients locate our office easily.

We love this community and serving you, your family and friends. We are always accepting new patients so please let your friends know that we are here to help them create a beautiful smile or keep the one that they already have for years to come!