Fresh Breath All Day at Last

[searching]

At this time my BB is gone, unambiguously, gone.

I have fresh breath and a clean-feeling and clean-tasting mouth, all day, through oral care with an ordinary, inexpensive, at-home routine.

I have my tonsils. All four of my wisdom teeth were removed when I was a teen, 35 years ago. In the place where my wisdom teeth were, the gums are fully closed and have, since the surgery, been healthy with no discharge or apparent bacterial over-colonization.

For decades after the surgery; however, I had BB, despite scrupulous attention to my oral hygiene.

Recently I have made two changes to my oral care, listed below.

As always I:
- brush my teeth, twice daily,
- after my last evening meal, I floss my teeth, once daily,
- gently brush my tongue, in the morning, once daily.

For the last month I have made the following change and addition to my oral care:
1. I use an over-the-counter toothpaste, twice daily, that contains 0.3% Triclosan (5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol), and
2. In the morning after brushing, I use an oral irrigator, with a powerful jet stream of liquid at the base of my teeth, at the gum line. I irrigate with a solution composed of 500 milliliters of warm water mixed with 50 milliliters of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide.

I am aware of some negative press that Triclosan has received; however, the toothpaste and the oral irrigation with hydrogen peroxide is a tandem that has made a significant improvement that provides me with a clean mouth all day.

I have reduced the amount of carbohydrate that I eat. Nevertheless, I credit the orally applied, over-the-counter, antimicrobials to the largest improvement I have noticed. It appears that controlling my BB problem lies in oral care, rather, than a systemic, gastro-intestinal disorder.

I now have no BB; however, I’m not cured. Instead I have eliminated BB by keeping the bacterial population low; and, it appears that the offending microorganisms were predominantly beneath my gumline where it joins my teeth, rather than in my tongue, tonsils, or sinuses.

In the past I had BB that, I believe, could rival many chronic sufferers on this site. I am not a physician. Professionally, I am a scientific researcher.

The postings on this site have helped me a great deal by challenging my theories and beliefs about BB. This group has also fortified my drive to uncover a solution that worked for my particular condition. Thank you Jimi and to everyone who generously contributes your very personal stories.

[The_Daily_Dread]

hello there! im happy that you no longer have bb. can you share with us the name/brand of this toothpaste?

since when did your bb disappear?

[halitosisux]

Hi searching,
I've been going through some of your past posting and there is whole wealth of useful information in them. You seem to have tried everything, so congratulations on finally finding relief. Someone else recently mentioned complete relief though daily gum irrigation with providone-iodine. What anyone can conclude from this is hard to say. Is it just that some people have specific types of bacteria in their mouthes which thrive in these gum spaces more than others? People can generally have more susceptibility to gingivitis and decay than others, and its a proven scientific fact that this is due to different strains and species of bacteria, so it is feasible.
Could it be a genetic trait that some people just have deeper pockets of gum around their teeth. Dentists do measure gum depth, anything over 3mm is a sign of a gingival pocket, but that also means that anything approaching that depth is normal. Certain bacteria will be free to thrive at such undisturbed depths and could in theory produce a level of discharge which could give rise to odour buildup in the mouth.

Dentists and dental hygienists "measure" periodontal disease using a device called a periodontal probe. This is a thin "measuring stick" that is gently placed into the space between the gums and the teeth, and slipped below the gum-line. If the probe can slip more than 3 millimetres length below the gum-line, the patient is said to have a "gingival pocket" around that tooth. This is somewhat of a misnomer, as any depth is in essence a pocket, which in turn is defined by its depth, i.e., a 2 mm pocket or a 6 mm pocket. However, it is generally accepted that pockets are self-cleansable (at home, by the patient, with a toothbrush) if they are 3 mm or less in depth. This is important because if there is a pocket which is deeper than 3 mm around the tooth, at-home care will not be sufficient to cleanse the pocket, and professional care should be sought. When the pocket depths reach 5, 6 and 7 mm in depth, even the hand instruments and cavitrons used by the dental professionals cannot reach deeply enough into the pocket to clean out the bacterial plaque that cause gingival inflammation. In such a situation the pocket or the gums around that tooth will always have inflammation which will likely result in bone loss around that tooth. The only way to stop the inflammation would be for the patient to receive subgingival antibiotics (Arestin) or undergo some form of gingival surgery to access the depths of the pockets and perhaps even change the pocket depths so that they become 3 or less mm in depth and can once again be properly cleaned by the patient at home with his or her toothbrush.

[Snobuni]

Hi Searching,

Congratulations on getting on top of your bb!! Had you used hydrogen peroxide in the past to clean your tongue or teeth? I've tried it before, but never in the way you've been using it. I recently bought an oral irrigator, I tried it with povidone-iodine without any success, but I'll try it again using hydrogen peroxide and see how that goes.

Would you say you have gum pockets? Does the freshness last all day? Which brand of toothpaste are you using, does it have any sodium lauryl sulphate in it? How long have you been doing this for? Sorry for all the questions

Thanks for sharing your story,

Snobuni

[DRASTIC]

Hi Searching,

Good luck with your new cure.

Just wanted to ask you if you still have your wisdom teeth-upper or lower?

Drastic

[searching]

Hello all,

The_Daily_Dread

The name/brand of the toothpaste is Colgate Total™

My BB fully vanished within days after following the routine of brushing with Triclosan-containing toothpaste and irrigating with diluted hydrogen peroxide.

Snobuni,

I occasionally used hydrogen peroxide in the past to clean my tongue and teeth but I had not used it beneath the gumline in an oral irrigator.

I may have gum pockets; and, I recall in the past that my dentist commented on some bone receding. The dental hygienist would measure the depth of zones where the gums interface with the teeth exactly as Halitosisux described.

The freshness does last all day. In fact, I just snacked on BBQ potato chips. In the past that would have ferociously exacerbated my BB; however, my breath is just BBQ potato chips. It doesn’t seem spoiled or foul.

I think the toothpaste does indeed have sodium lauryl sulphate.

I’ve been following this routine for several weeks.

Drastic,

My wisdom teeth, upper and lower, were all removed decades ago. The surgical site seems to have healed properly with no pockets or flaps.

[The_Daily_Dread]

hi searching,

i would like to give your routine a try. Hopefully it will work for me as well.

what brand of oral irrigator are u using? Does it matter which brand? i'm sorry, never used irrigators before and i did a quick image search on google and thats the first time i've seen one.

thx

[Snobuni]

Hi Searching,

Do you use a waterpik irrigator? And do you use the gum pocket tip and put this right into your pockets or under the gum, or are you just using a normal tip and using it a few millimetres away from the teeth, pointing it towards the gum? Also, how often do you irrigate with the hydrogen peroxide? Daily? Twice daily?

I'm going to give this a go when I get my hands on some hydrogen peroxide. I've been to three chemists today and I haven't been able to find a bottle of it anywhere!!!

[DRASTIC]

HI all,

I have come to realise something about this irrigation.

I have an oral irrigator. A good one. Not the handheld cheap version but a very good brand with different attachment tips.

Well. I used it for 2 whole weeks and i thought I was cured. I got dressed went to an interview and the person there mentioned smelling something like cheesy socks. I wasnt having any sinus problems either so I wondered where the smell could come from.


Anyways, I realised in all of this that people who still have their wisdom teeth that are impacted in some way or with gum pockets around the wisdom will find it very difficult to cure their odour with just an oral irrigator.


I have given up on my oral irrigator. I dont use it anymore becasue I have come to realise I have gum pockets around my wisdom teeth and the only way to get rid of the bacteria for good is to extract the teeth and get the dentist to clean out the site.

I dont mean to sound negative but searching I was wondering if this oral irrigator could have worked for you because you dont have wisdom teeth to complicate the situation?

Searching was your bad breath chronic like did it come thru your nose?

Drastic

[halitosisux]

Hi Drastic,
While i still had my wisdom tooth causing my BB i made my own irrigator out of a syringe to see what effect it would have on this one area. I used lots of different antibacterials, including chlorhexidine, chlorine dioxide and even neat bleach. I could push the syringe so deeply into the gum pocket it was scary. But nothing i did lasted for very long, bacteria soon repopulated in there to continue producing a foul discharge.

You are right with what you say. Antibacterial gum irrigation is likely to be very effective below a certain depth of gingival pocket, and completely ineffective over a certain depth. And that makes sense for all the situations we've described.

[searching]

what brand of oral irrigator are u using? Does it matter which brand?

I'm using a Water Pik.

[searching]

Do you use the gum pocket tip and put this right into your pockets or under the gum, or are you just using a normal tip and using it a few millimetres away from the teeth, pointing it towards the gum? Also, how often do you irrigate with the hydrogen peroxide? Daily? Twice daily?

I use a tapered Water Pik tip that jets a rapidly flowing, pulsatile stream, like an intensive, toy water pistol. I rest the tip directly on the gum where it meets the teeth on the inner and outer faces of the teeth, i.e. tongue side and cheek side. I do this once daily. I purchase the hydrogen peroxide at a pharmacy or grocery store.

[searching]

I dont mean to sound negative but searching I was wondering if this oral irrigator could have worked for you because you dont have wisdom teeth to complicate the situation?

Searching was your bad breath chronic like did it come thru your nose?

Drastic,

Perhaps that is the case, i.e. the methods work because I have no wisdom teeth.

I don't think I had odor coming from the nose.

Note: The oral irrigator is used with a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution, i.e. 3% diluted to 1/10th strength of 0.3%, not plain water; and, I'm brushing with a Triclosan containing toothpaste. I'm not yet certain if only one of these two steps, used alone, is sufficient.

[mindyb]

Hey searching-
I read your post and I too have had bb problems since having my wisdom teeth out. I have no idea why or maybe coincedence.
Are you still having luck with the Hydrogen Peroxide by water irrigator?
Do you truly feel that your bb is linked to having your wisdoms out? Keep us updated. I have used Hydrogen Peroxide before, but not with an irrigator. I think it gave me the feeling of ridding bb, but in the end its effects wore off.
I am happy for ya if you are having continued success!!!

[searching]

Are you still having luck with the Hydrogen Peroxide by water irrigator? Do you truly feel that your bb is linked to having your wisdoms out?

mindyb,

Yes, I'm having continued success in all-day elimination of BB, with oral irrigation, at, and beneath, the gumline & between teeth, using dilute hydrogen peroxide and brushing with toothpaste containing Triclosan.

If you have an oral irrigator I strongly encourage you to try the routine described in my original note above.

I had BB for 35 years after (and perhaps before) my wisdom teeth were removed; however, I don't think the absence of my wisdom teeth is linked to my BB issue in any way.