Get a Fresh Start

GO on. Stick your tongue out as far as possible, look at it in the mirror, check to see if the back of your tongue is whitish. If it is, the...

GO on. Stick your tongue out as far as possible, look at it in the mirror, check to see if the back of your tongue is whitish. If it is, then it indicates you have bad breath.

Forget about cupping your palm and blowing into it to check for yucky breath. There are more sure-fire checks. Lick the back of your hand, let that dry for 10-15 seconds. If you notice an odour, you have bad breath because the sulphur salts from your tongue have been transferred to your hand. You can also wipe the top of your tongue with a piece of cotton. If you observe yellowish stains on the cotton, it clearly indicates that you have elevated sulfide levels and therefore bad breath.

I have distilled all these tips from India’s very first Fresh Breath Clinic, run by Dr Yusuf Chunawalla in Pune. ‘‘Even after becoming a qualified dentist I wasn’t able to provide a satisfactory solution for bad breath,’’ Dr Chunawalla says. So, together with Dr Howard Alliger from the US and Dr Hemant Thakur, he launched the Fresh Breath Clinic.

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Bad breath is caused by anaerobic bacteria (which multiply in an environment which has less oxygen) present in the mouth, throat and tonsils. This bacteria interacts with the environment and produces volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) which are responsible for the odour.

There is the physiologic bad breath (due to bacterial overgrowth mainly on the tongue), the pathologic bad breath (due to illness) and the transitory bad breath (after eating pungent food containing garlic, onions and the like and lasts between 24 and 72 hours).

‘‘One must be aware of the food items which cause bad breath,’’ stresses Dr Chunawalla. ‘‘Sugars serve as a fuel for bacteria. Dairy foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt are retained on the tongue and in the mouth and these produce VSCs and so do acidic foods like coffee, tomato juice, citrus juices and, of course, onions, garlic etc which already have sulphur compounds,’’ he adds.

Not just food, even coughs, colds and sinusitis can cause bad breath. Having pinpointed the causes, how on earth does one go about ridding oneself of it?

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The answer lies in keeping the tongue clean. Its surface encourages the rapid multiplication of bacteria and because of its large surface area, the tongue is responsible for almost 80-85 per cent of bad breath. Other than regular tongue cleaning, here are some other dos and don’ts:

• Avoid sugar, saccharin and mouthwashes containing alcohol
• Keep your mouth moist, have plenty of water and use sugarfree chewing gums and mints
• Eat fibrous fruits and veggies and avoid raw onion and garlic.
• Rinse your mouth after having dairy products, tea and coffee
• If your problem still persists then make a beeline for the Fresh Breath Clinic for detailed examination and treatment.

Fresh Breath Clinic,
Dr Yusuf K Chunawalla,
37 Wonderland, 7 MG Road, Pune
Ph: 020-26130232,
(Clinic) 020-26132847,
yusufkc@yahoo.com

	You Ask, They Answer

			HEARING AID • A reader has been deaf in his right ear since the age of four. The hearing in his left ear, however, is proper. He was told that his condition was incurable and that the artery/vein that carries blood to the right ear is dry. Is there any possibility of treatment? It appears he is suffering from profound sensory-neural deafness, ie the damage to the inner ear, which is usually irreversible. Since his left ear is sound, he should be able to do his day-to-day work. Just some precautions: he should avoid cleaning his ear with pins or matchsticks and avoid exposure to loud sounds. If he needs medication, he should mention his problem to the doctor. People who have lost hearing in both ears can turn to cochlear (electronic) implants. Dr MV Kirtane, ENT consultant, PD Hinduja National Hospital & Medical Research Centre PRESSURE PROBLEMS • Kaveri, 48, a high BP patient, vomited blood while coughing as well as suffered from a nosebleed. Doctors say this could be due to a stomach ulcer. She wants to know if high BP can cause bleeding. High BP can certainly cause bleeding from the nose. If Kaveri had a peptic ulcer which was bleeding then it is possible that she could vomit blood. She needs to see her physician immediately. Dr Hemant Thacker, consulting physician and cardiologist at Jaslok, Breach Candy and Bhatia Hospitals

Do keep calling and writing. And do keep smiling. For all your health queries, call 022-22161313 or log onto http://www.rashmiudaysingh.com. Write to P. O. Box No 19946, Colaba, Mumbai-5 or e-mail hol@rashmiudaysingh.com