Dental News - UK National Kissing Day—A good opportunity to talk about bad breath

Dental Tribune International

Fri. 22. June 2018

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LONDON, UK: Kissing. Who doesn’t like a good old wet one on the lips? On 22 June, with different levels of intensity, the UK is puckering up on National Kissing Day for the 12th consecutive year. The purpose of the day is to celebrate the part kissing plays within society; however, although a nice smooch can go a long way, most would agree that one of the worst things a kissing partner can have is bad breath.

Supporting the event is dentist, bacteriologist and founder of the Breath Company Dr Harold Katz. For National Kissing Day, Katz has put together his top five tips for kissing with confidence. They are: hydrate; you are what you eat (or rather your breath is); go easy on the mints; brush and floss regularly, but avoid harsh soap in toothpaste; and rinse, but keep it alcohol-free.

According to the company’s website, it was founded on the idea that oral care products can be made from pure, natural ingredients that not only are safer to use, but also work better. It says its fresh breath formula is recognised by dentists and clinicians as the most effective long-term solution for the prevention of bad breath available without a prescription.

Speaking to Dental Tribune International, Katz said, “The impact on the daily lives of halitosis sufferers vary between individuals and may go beyond the point of simply addressing a physical problem. Sufferers may be reticent to engage in conversation with friends, colleagues and family and avoid speaking with loved ones or withdraw from social situations that they would previously be comfortable attending. Other psychological effects may include insecurity, isolation and inhibition.”

In a step that may help with anxiety regarding engaging in social situations, as well as other negative effects, due to bad breath, a team of Korean scientists has recently developed a halitosis sensor that can detect hydrogen sulphide gas, present in the breath owing to the sulphur compounds produced by bacteria. According to the paper, the researchers considered how to adapt the industrial use of lead(II) acetate, a chemical that turns brown when exposed to hydrogen sulphide gas, to create a product that would be easy to use and cost-effective for halitosis diagnosis in dentistry.

Although in most cases, bad breath is simply an annoyance, it can sometimes be a symptom of more serious medical and dental problems. However, since the current method of diagnosis of halitosis by exhaled breath involving hydrogen sulphide sensors requires a power source and precise calibration and can show low sensitivity or a slow response, it has not generally been in standard use by dentists. According to the researchers, this new development may be a helpful tool for early diagnosis of potentially more serious issues.

The study on the halitosis sensor is titled “Sub-parts-per-million hydrogen sulfide colorimetric sensor: Lead acetate anchored nanofibers toward halitosis diagnosis” and was published 23 May 2018 in Analytical Chemistry.

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