The Reality Behind the Bad Breath Myths

Last week we discussed common misconceptions that our culture perpetuates regarding chronic bad breath, or halitosis. This week we’ll review those five myths and go into the reality behind them and how to remedy bad breath knowing those myths.
Myth 1: Mouthwash eliminates severe bad breathDespite common rumors about mouthwash being the quick fix to bad breath, mouthwash in fact does not remove severe bad breath. It’s true that using mouthwash as part of your dental hygiene routine helps promote positive dental health; however, mouthwash cannot fix halitosis. When one suffers from chronic bad breath, the cure is far beyond practicing good oral hygiene. Mouthwash can actually worsen severe halitosis because the alcohol present in mouthwash exacerbates the halitosis condition by drying the mouth.

Reality: Use an alcohol-free mouthwash to continue practicing healthy dental hygiene without further dehydrating your mouth. If you find bad breath persists, visit the Center for Breath Treatment to discuss options for remedying chronic bad breath.

Myth #2: If you blow into your hand, you can tell if you have bad breathThis well-known ‘diagnosis’ for bad breath is unfortunately, misleading and ineffective. As we mentioned in our previous post, your nose grows accustomed to the scents surrounding it and therefore, cannot detect chronic, ongoing bad breath. The cup your hands and sniff method may be effective for self-diagnosing momentary bad breath (like right after eating an onion), but fails to accurately reveal chronic bad breath.

Myth #3: Chronic bad breath is a hygiene problemDr. Dailley specializes in getting rid of bad breath for his patients who suffer from chronic halitosis and often needs to dispel the myth himself that bad breath exists because of a lack of proper hygiene. He notes that most halitosis patients come to the Center For Breath Treatment practicing consistent and healthy dental hygiene. For chronic and severe bad breath, the problem typically exists because of hereditary issues or a physiological conditions and have no correspondence with proper oral hygiene.

Reality: 90% of bad breath problems come from an excess of a certain type of bacteria present in the mouth. Various causes may trigger the production of these particular bacteria, such as sinus congestion, allergies or post-nasal drips and other nasal-related conditions.

Myth #4: Bad breath is caused by certain foodsTemporary bad breath can emerge from eating foul-odor producing foods; however, the bad breath is transient and can be neutralized by brushing teeth, using mouthwash or chewing gum. When speaking about halitosis, or severe and chronic bad breath, the mouth odor exists regardless of food consumption.

Reality: Halitosis persists regardless of the foods consumed or the foods avoided. As mentioned earlier in this post, 90% of halitosis cases are caused by hereditary or physiological issues. Furthermore, only in rare and extreme cases does halitosis exist due to stomach or medical reasons. It’s important to speak with a breath cure specialist to examine your symptoms and condition to determine the best course of action to battle your bad breath.

Myth #5: There is no cure for bad breathSome people have tried the popular misconception ‘cures’ to bad breath without success and come to the conclusion that there is no cure for bad breath . The reality is that those ‘cures’ for bad breath are directed toward momentary, situational bad breath, not toward chronic bad breath. The most important step in fighting bad breath is accurately determining the cause of bad breath.

Reality: There IS a cure for bad breath. Dr. Dailley’s patients experience a 99% success rate when treated because he can examine the symptoms and causes of the halitosis thus determining a cause. If you live outside of California and cannot visit the Center for Breath Treatment in person, an at-home treatment kit to fight bad breath is available to remedy your bad breath. Give us a call at 1-888-FRESH-03 (1-510.848.0114) to set up a bad breath consultation.

Bottom line: There IS a cure for bad breath. Seek help and take action now!

About the Author: Dr. Anthony Dailley has been practicing dentistry for over 30 years and conducts research pertaining to bad breath treatments and remedies at the California Pacific Lab. Dr. Dailley holds a degree in Cell & Molecular Biology from San Francisco State University as well as a dental degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. Dr Dailley specializes in curing chronic bad breath and founded the nationally acclaimed Center for Breath Treatment.