Bad Breath Remedies, Get Rid of Bad Breath, Bad Breath Cure

Source: http://www.therabreath.com/art_badbreath.asp

Original article by Dr. Harold Katz  - BAD BREATH EXPERT

The truth is, bad breath is universal. No matter how well you brush, floss, and gargle you still carry the germs that cause unpleasant smells with you every day...in your mouth.

The Science of Bad Breath

Bad breath is basically caused by anaerobic sulfur-producing bacteria. These bacteria live within the surface of the tongue and in the throat and are nothing to worry about - they are naturally occurring. These bacteria are supposed to be there because they assist humans in digestion by breaking down proteins. Proteins are commonly found in food, mucous or phlegm, blood, and in diseased or "broken-down" oral tissue. Not a very pretty picture, but this is the science of what happens in your mouth.

Under certain conditions, these bacteria start to break down proteins at a very high rate. It so happens that proteins are made up of amino acids. Two of the amino acids (cysteine and methionine) are dense with sulfur. When the bacteria really crank up the rate at which they break down proteins into amino acids, the rate at which sulfur is produced also increases and BINGO! You have halitosis.

As bacteria feasts on proteins in your mouth sulfur compounds are released from the back of the tongue and throat. Bacteria excretes waste as hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and other odorous and bad tasting compounds. These smelly substances are called volatile sulfur compounds (VSC). Volatile means vaporous and effervescent, two adjectives which accurately describe their ability to offend other people instantly. As long as this process continues unchecked, your breath gets worse and worse.

Finding a Solution to Prevent Halitosis - Bad Breath Remedies

Because my original degree is in bacteriology, I was able to understand the process both as a Dentist and as a Bacteriologist. This was the key to finding an effective ongoing solution for halitosis.

The first and most important thing to keep in mind is that the bacteria responsible for bad breath is not an infection, a 'disease' or a sign of poor health or hygiene. Everyone in the world has the same group of bacteria in their mouth. You cannot "catch" bad breath from someone else, even by kissing. It's simply a matter of how quickly they work on digesting proteins, how many there are, and how much food they have to work with that are the driving causes of worsening breath. Since they are part of our normal oral flora, you cannot permanently remove these bacteria from your mouth - not by tongue scraping, antibiotics, or rinses which claim to "lift the bacteria off your tongue."

During my tenure as Director of the California Breath Clinic I've personally treated over 10,000 cases of halitosis and discovered this one important truth: The only scientifically proven and clinically effective method of halting halitosis is by attacking the bacteria's ability to produce VSCs and by converting the VSCs into non-odorous and non-tasting organic salts. Simply put, the rate at which bacteria digest protein and excrete waste has to be slowed, and the waste that is produced has to be neutralized.