This is a rather taboo subject, not often discussed.
Nevertheless, there are estimated to be more than 50 million
sufferers from this condition, not to mention those in their
vicinity who may suffer with them. Moreover, halitosis is not
confined to culture, sex or creed. It affects young and old,
rich and poor, male and female of all races, all over the
world. Halitosis is the medical word for bad breath. Most
people are not chronic suffers; they only have it
occasionally and fortunately, transient bad breath which is
caused by a number of different factors, can be improved.
The following story which is attributed to the Rambam, but
also accredited to a few other famous personalities, probably
in the Golden Period of Spain, goes back at least one
thousand years. It is immaterial who the hero of the story
was, the anecdote shows that malodorous breath was a problem
even then.
As was invariably the case, there was a courtier who was
extremely jealous of a certain Jew who was a favorite at the
court at that time. This fellow informed the Sultan one day
that his Jewish friend found the royal breath offensive. That
same day, he also advised the Jew to cover his nose and mouth
when he next visited the Sultan, as His Eminence objected to
the foul odor which he emitted. Thus the Jew arrived at the
palace with a cloth tied around his nose and mouth.
The Sultan was so incensed at the proof of the courtier's
words and at the overt insult that he immediately penned a
few lines, sealed the message and commanded the Jew to take
the letter to the owner of the lime kiln without delay. The
jew hurried to do the royal bidding but was stopped by a
fellow Jew who begged him to come and circumcise his son, as
it was already almost evening.
On the one hand, he did not want to displease the Sultan, but
on the other, performing a bris on time, especially as
there did not seem to be anyone else qualified to do it, was
essential. Just at that moment, who should pass but the
malefactor who had maligned him to the Sultan. The Jew, who
thought that they were friends, asked him if he could be so
kind as to deliver the urgent letter from the Sultan to the
owner of the lime kiln.
Gleefully, his `friend' took the letter, rejoicing in the
fact that he now had another accusation, real this time, to
report against the Jew, who meanwhile went to perform the
circumcision. The lime kiln owner opened the letter which the
courtier had brought him and carried out the Sultan's wishes
right away. The letter read: "Cast the bearer of this letter
directly into the lime kiln."
The next day, when the Jew once again presented himself at
court, still sporting his `mask,' the Sultan asked what had
happened to the letter. The Jew admitted the truth. The
Sultan then asked him outright why he had come to court twice
with his nose and mouth covered. Once again, the Jew told him
the truth, that he had been told that His Eminence found his
breath offensive.
"Blessed be the just G-d of the Jews," enthused the Sultan,
when he realized that Divine Justice had been served to the
villainous courtier and that the Jew had been protected from
death.
Everybody has some bacteria which live in the mouth, mostly
on the back of the tongue. The front of the tongue has a
larger supply of saliva which washes the bacteria away. Small
particles of food remain trapped in between our teeth after
meals in exactly the places where the bacteria live. These
particles are meals for the bacteria, which produce volatile
sulfur compounds (V.S.C.) in the waste as they digest the
remnants of our meals. The word `volatile' means that the
substance evaporates easily; i.e., it escapes into the air,
which would explain why V.S.C.s have the ability to offend
those around us so easily. Fortunately, low levels of these
compounds cannot be detected by the human nose. It is only
when V.S.C.s increase and other people can detect them that
we call it `bad breath.'
Dry mouth (xerostomia, for Scrabble players) is one of the
causes of bad breath. First thing in the morning, perhaps,
and most certainly on a fast day, a person might feel that
his mouth is not fresh. Halitosis is usually detected by a
friend or a spouse, since as a rule, one cannot detect smells
emanating from oneself. Teachers or lecturers for instance,
or anyone who has to speak for any length of time, may find
that their mouths are dry, and feel that their breath is not
quite as fresh as it should be.
Untreated dental decay, gum disease or an abscess can be a
cause for halitosis. Worse still, they can also be a cause
for general ill health.
Various foods can also cause bad breath, although they do not
always produce V.S.C.s. Garlic, onions, and fish, which are
the most notorious ones, cabbage, peppers and red meat to
mention a few other offenders, are liable to linger on the
breath. In fact, research has shown that you do not even have
to eat the food for it to manifest itself. If you rub garlic
on the soles of your feet, one can discern it in the breath
after an hour or two!
Illness, such as appendicitis, tonsillitis or chest
infections, might be a cause of bad breath. An alert mother
of small children can detect that a child is ill before
reaching for the thermometer.
In a small percentage of people, some medication taken for
treating certain illnesses causes bad breath, partly because
they dry out the mouth.
Nervous tension or stress can bring about an attack of bad
breath. As soon as the ordeal is over, the breath returns to
normal.
How do we cure this embarrassing affliction? It is important
to minimize the amount of food available for the bacteria.
Every dentist will recommend brushing and flossing after
meals. Frequent drinks of water throughout the day are very
helpful. If possible, some water should be rinsed around the
mouth and kept there for a few seconds before being
swallowed. Rinsing will dilute and partially remove the
bacterial waste products.
A mouthwash does not cure the problem, but it neutralizes the
smell. If it is an antibacterial mouthwash, it can eliminate
some of the bacteria. Incidentally, not every mouthwash is
kosher. A mouthwash containing chlorine dioxide releases
oxygen and as most of the bacteria are anaerobic, which
means, as mentioned before, that they prefer environments
devoid of oxygen, volatile sulfur compounds will be lessened.
Antiseptic type mouthwashes are not usually recommended by
dentists, as they contain significant amounts of alcohol, and
alcohol dries out the mouth.
Increasing the amount of saliva in the mouth also washes away
some of the bacteria. That dreadful habit of chewing gum, if
there is some with a good supervision, has some uses. Chewing
on a carrot or apple has the same effect. It also increases
the flow of saliva.
Many dentists, especially in America, advise people to scrape
their tongues, especially the back of the tongue where most
of bacteria thrive. A small spoon, inverted, is a good way
to start, but it should be used gently; there is no need to
injure the tongue. A toothbrush is also a good tool for
cleaning the tongue, but when I tried it, it made me gag.
`They' say that the gagging stops if you brush your tongue
regularly. Tongue scrapers are sold in some drug stores.
If a person is extremely concerned about food odors remaining
on his breath, he can try to avoid some of the offending
foods. In the same way as anorexics imagine they are fat, and
steer clear of food, some people who do not have bad breath
at all, imagine that they do, and begin to stay away from
people. Family members and friends must use patience and tact
in order to avoid a sad psychological illness.
Regular visits to the dentist, thorough brushing and flossing
of our teeth and drinking plenty of water seem to be the
surest way to avoid embarrassment.
