90% of the population is concerned about their breath, and some studies show that more than 50% suffer from halitosis.

Halitosis involves a series of implications that impact an individual's quality of life, reducing self esteem and complicating interpersonal, intimate and even professional relationships.

But, what causes bad breath? Where does it come from?

Approximately 87% of halitosis cases start in the mouth. The remaining 13% are associated with certain ENT-related diseases or with other systemic diseases (affecting the stomach, liver, etc.)¹

We should not confuse bad breath with bad taste from certain foods, such as garlic or onion.

The most common intraoral causes of halitosis are the lack of oral hygiene, tongue coating, the use of dentures or orthodontics, periodontal diseases, dental caries, the intake of certain medicines that cause dry mouth (antidepressants, antihistamines, antihypertensives, etc.) and smoking, among others.

41% of oral halitosis cases originate on the tongue2 due to the accumulation of bacteria on the tongue dorsum.

How can oral halitosis be prevented?

Besides mechanical tooth cleaning, daily oral hygiene with a tongue cleaner is recommended to remove the layer of bacteria that has formed on the back of the tongue and which cause bad breath.

Other preventive measures for halitosis include:

Brushing teeth in the morning, after each meal and before going to bed. Interproximal cleaning with dental floss or tape, with interproximal brushes or with oral irrigators. Eating small amounts of food more frequently. Cutting down on or completely refraining from coffee, tobacco smoking and alcohol. Drinking water between meals. Reducing stress.

How to fight it

Bad breath is commonly masked by lozenges or gum, but, despite the general belief that halitosis has no remedy, a treatment really does exist.

The treatment of oral halitosis is aimed at reducing the number of bacteria that produce the unpleasant odour (that are present on the tongue dorsum and in the periodontal sulcus or pocket) and to diminish the volatilisation of foul-smelling substances.

Halitosis can be fought with the right diagnosis, specific treatment and habit changes

Some antimicrobial agents used in the treatment of halitosis include low dose 0.05% Chlorhexidine (CHX), Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and Zinc lactate, which have been proven efficient in reducing variables associated with halitosis3, when used together with mechanical lingual hygiene.4,5

To fight halitosis, daily treatment with HALITA mouthwash, HALITA toothpaste and/or HALITA spray is recommended in order to eradicate bacteria that have accumulated in the oral cavity, particularly those that produce smelly substances, and also to control the growth of microorganisms that generate odour-producing VSCs (volatile sulphur compounds). The goal of the HALTIA product line is not to hide bad breath, but to attack the root of the problem6 with a scientifically developed treatment for the control of oral halitosis.

Halitosis prevention must include daily removal of the layer of bacteria and food debris that has formed on the tongue with the HALITA Tongue Cleaner.

HALITA mouthwash controls the growth of bacteria responsible for bad breath

HALITA toothpaste with fluoride gets rid of bad breath and freshens mouth, while protecting teeth and gums

HALITA spray is ideal for out-of-home use

HALITA tongue cleaner is specifically designed to reach the backmost areas of the tongue

Mc Dowell JD. Kassebaum DK. 'Diagnosing and treating halitosis'. J Am Dent Assoc 1993; 124.55-64. Delanghe G., Ghyselen J., Van Steenberghe D., Feenstra L., 'Multidisciplinary Breath – odour clinic'. Lancet 1997: 350:187. Tonzetich J. “Production and origin of oral malodor: A review of mechanism and methods of analysis”. J. Periodontol 1977; 48: 13-20. Winkel EG, Roldán S, van Winkelhoff AJ, Herrera D, Sanz M. 'The clinical effects of a new mouthrinse containing chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride and zinc lactate on oral halitosis. A dual-center, double blind placebo-controlled study'. J Clin Periodontol 2003.30:300-306. Roldán S. Herrera D. Sanz M. 'Biofilms and the tongue: therapeutical approaches for the control of halitosis'. Clin Oral Invest 2003. 7:189-197. Roldán S, Herrera D, Santa-Cruz I, O’Connor A, González I, Sanz M. 'Comparative effects of different chlorhexidine mouth-rinse formulations on volatile sulphur compounds and salivary bacterial counts'. J Clin Periodontol 2004; 31: 1128–1134. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-051X.2004.00621.x. r Blackwell Munksgaard, 2004.