Do you suffer from halitophobia?
It's not something discussed in polite company—but it sure is something that all of us at one time or another have been concerned about.
I'm talking about bad breath. Halitophobia is the fear of having it. But if you suffer from periodontal disease or a handful of other malodor-causing conditions, bad breath is your everyday reality.
Breath is such an integral part of everyone's personal hygiene that understanding what causes it and even more important—how best to fix any problem with it—is a topic that scientists recently focused on. Last month, 200 of them got together for the International Conference on Breath Odor Research to share findings from their respective backgrounds.
They discussed the best natural flavors to treat breath odor (cinnamon won the vote), the creation of an artificial sniffer for detecting bad odor, and a concept best-known for it's use in Chinese medicine—smelling the breath to detect signs of disease.
Organizers of the conference felt it was high time to take a look at breath odor issues. They think that the emphasis in dental science has long been on just those things that can kill you—not just cause you a lot of embarrassment and awkwardness.
But the fear of bad breath itself is killing some. For those who suffer from halitophobia, it's classified as an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and there are actual cases in Japan of people committing suicide from it.
There is no need to become phobic over your breath, though. According to researchers, most bad breath begins in the mouth—specifically the tongue, which is the culprit in 90 percent of cases.
The best thing you can do to prevent bad breath is to take care of the basics: brush your teeth regularly, floss daily, and use a tongue scraper to clean the bacteria that are trying to set up shop on your tongue. Don't forget to gargle and rinse with a mouthwash. A favorite of mine that I personally use is from Dental Herb Company at www.dentalherbcompany.com. But you'll only be able to learn more about their products on their website—not purchase them. Their products can only be purchased directly from a dentist, or by his referral. A bit of extra trouble, but worth it in my opinion. The web site explains how you can get a referral form from your dentist.
I wrote more on dental health in last month's issue of Health Revelations. If you're a subscriber, you can access it in the archives at www.healthrevelations.com.
