Chronic Halitosis Myths with Dr. Dailley
1. Halitosis comes from the stomach.
Only in extremely rare cases does this occur. Cleansing the intestines or colonics offers no benefits in eliminating a chronic halitosis condition. Gastric reflux is also commonly blamed for producing halitosis conditions but this theory is false and scientifically unfounded.
2. Halitosis comes from the lungs.
Only rarely does this occur and can be a manifestation of a serious disease or perhaps pneumonia.
3. Halitosis is a hereditary problem.
This is absolutely not true. There is no gene for halitosis that can be passed on genetically to an offspring. Certain conditions that can contribute to a bad breath condition can be hereditary, but these do not guarantee your offspring will develop a halitosis condition.
4. A chronic bad breath condition can be contagious or passed to another person through kissing.
This is absolutely not true.
5. Mouthwash and breath mints can help a breath problem.
This is not true. They only mask the problem at best for a few short minutes. Alcohol based mouthwashes worsen the problem because they dry out the mouth thus increasing the volatilization or vaporization of breath odors.
6. Internal breath fresheners
Products taken for food-induced odors will have no effect on a chronic halitosis condition, and food-induced odors are not considered as halitosis.
7. Brushing my teeth more will help eliminate my breath condition.
This is also not true. Excessive brushing can dry one’s mouth, thus increasing the halitosis problem. Excessive brushing can also damage the teeth and gums over time. This is a dental condition that we commonly see in our clinic because patients are often trying to “brush their halitosis away”. It is very difficult to remove the specific odor causing bacteria with brushing and flossing alone, and most patients we see at our center tend to have very good oral hygiene.
8. Halitosis is caused by foods.
Foods such as onions, garlic, or cauliflower can induce certain odors but these are only transitory and can be easily eliminated by avoiding that particular food. The odors they produce also are not of the “sulfur” type commonly seen in true halitosis conditions, and generally are not as offensive.
9. There is no treatment for halitosis.
Commonly we see patients in our clinic that have given up hope of eliminating their halitosis condition and erroneously assume they will be burdened with this condition for the rest of their lives. The reality is there is a highly effective treatment for this problem at the Center For Breath Treatment.
10. Probiotics can help in eliminating my bad breath.
There is no scientific evidence to support the benefits of probiotics in the treatment of halitosis. The use and benefits of probiotics for treating a bad breath condition is very overstated and oversimplified. For that reason, we do not recommend the use of these products.
11. I have heard that the bacteria H. Pylori causes halitosis. Is this true?
This is absolutely false. H. Pylori is a common cause of peptic ulcers and when patients have been placed on antibiotics to eliminate the H. Pylori bacteria they often find that their chronic halitosis condition improves. The reason for the improvement has nothing to do with the elimination or reduction of the H. Pylori. Any improvement that occurs is because the antibiotics temporarily also reduce the amount of the anaerobic bacteria in the mouth that are contributing to the halitosis condition. Once the antibiotic regimen is completed the bad breath always returns.
12. Rinsing with hydrogen peroxide will help cure my bad breath.
Hydrogen peroxide has never been shown to be helpful in treating halitosis. It is considered to be both a cytotoxic (toxic to cells) and a proteolytic (breaks down protein) product that will damage the tissues in the mouth. An occasional use of the product will not cause any significant damage to the oral tissues but any prolonged or regular use of hydrogen peroxide will break down the tissues and cause ulcerations of the tissues. We recommend patients do not use it for oral purposes
Treat Your Chronic Bad Breath Today*
Tired of wondering if your bad breath is making the wrong statement about your health? Anthony Dailley, DDS has the perfect solution to restore your self-confidence and your fresh breath.
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