If Your Breath Doesn’t Take Them Away . . .

Here are some facts about bad breath.

* About 1 in 10 people, or 26 million Americans, suffer from chronic bad breath, often interfering with their ability to enjoy a productive personal and professional life.

* Bacteria on the back of the tongue emit foul-smelling gases that are the chief culprit in halitosis. Control the bacteria by scraping the top of the tongue twice a day with your toothbrush or a tongue scraper. Most dentists and some pharmacies carry tongue scrapers, which cost about $2.

* Dozens of prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause dryness of the mouth, another source of bad breath. Keep your mouth moist by drinking lots of fluids, avoiding caffeine and using sugar-free hard lemon candy and sugarless gum.

* Dentists have linked bad breath to postnasal drip, which coats the tongue and allows more resistant bacteria to grow. Getting allergies under control can eliminate problem breath.

* See your doctor if bad breath is a new problem. Halitosis can be a symptom of a medical condition, such as sinus infection, diabetes, gum infection, and kidney or liver disease.

* Ask your dentist about new mouthwashes and toothpastes that neutralize oral bacterial gases to eliminate odor. Most commercial washes mask odor only temporarily.

* Contrary to some product manufacturers’ claims, gastrointestinal problems are rarely involved in halitosis.

* UCLA researchers are testing an electronic “nose” developed by Cyrano Sciences Inc. of Pasadena. Fashioned much like a hand-held breath analyzer, the device aims to measure oral gases--and give diagnosing clinicians a well-deserved break.

* Industry experts estimate that as many as 1,000 dentists nationwide--including about 100 in Southern California--have opened fresh-breath specialty clinics or incorporated the treatment into their private practice.

Source: Dr. Diana Messadi, director of the UCLA Oral Medicine Faculty Group Practice and the UCLA Fresh Breath/Halitosis Clinic