HEALTH BEAT 1-1-2002

Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts January 2002
January 2002
Short Cuts:
HEALTH BEAT

An ill wind

Halitosis, better known as bad breath, is one epidemic that rarely makes the news. Yet experts estimate as many as two out of three Americans suffer with the condition and the rest likely suffer just from knowing those two out of three. How to treat this malodorous malady? First, it helps to know what might be causing the woeful wafts.

“Most bad breath is either dental or gastric in origin,” says Dr. Steven M. Alter, DDS, a general and cosmetic dentist with 20 years of practice in New York City. “If the problem is dental, remedies include meticulous home care brushing and flossing and using products such as nonalcohol-based rinses, tongue scrapers, even special plastic trays treated with a peroxide derivative and worn in the mouth overnight.”

If the problem stems from a gastric disturbance such as acid reflux, a physician can recommend a diet and medications that will help reduce the problem.

Finally, says Alter, “Don’t overlook the obvious: Lay off the raw onions. Use sugar-free mints.”

C.A.S.