Simple Life Matters

Health Alert Tips. How can you avoid having bad breath? Halitosis, colloquially called bad breath, or feter oris, is a symptom in which a noticeably unpleasant odor is present on the exhaled breath. Concern about halitosis is estimated to be the third most frequent reason for people to seek dental care, following tooth decay and gum disease;[1] and about 20% of the general population are reported to suffer from it to some degree. Not all who think they have halitosis have a genuine problem. Of those who feel they have halitosis, significant percentages (5‑72%)[2] have been reported to have no genuine halitosis when professionally examined. Of those who have genuine halitosis, often the odor is caused by bacteria present below thegumline and on the back of the tongue. The remaining 10% is accounted for by many different conditions, including disorders in the nasal cavity, sinuses,throat, lungs, esophagus, stomach or elsewhere. See the related article on tonsilloliths for another