treating bad breah with blue light?
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:49 pm
Zap Bad Breath with Blue Light
Duct tape has hundreds of uses, but apparently researchers at Hebrew University Hadassah School of Dental Medicine felt that fixing a malodorous mouth shouldn't be one of them. So they experimented with other, less restrictive ways to stop the stench, including shining some light on the problem. In a study reported in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, the scientists exposed saliva samples to various wavelengths of light and then conducted a sniff test. The winner: blue light--by a nose.
"It induces the production of oxygen radicals, which are harmful to anaerobic bacteria, the producers of bad breath," says study author Nir Sterer, D.M.D., Ph.D.
Make it work for you: Until researchers develop a safe, handheld blue-light device, you'll need to get creative. To that end, try replacing the lightbulbs over your bathroom sink with a set of GE Reveal bulbs ($4)--they give off the necessary bug-bashing rays. Then just complete your normal twice-a-day routine--floss, brush, scrape, gargle. Whatever light that manages to filter into your mouth may help your halitosis, and it won't hurt--unless you stand on your tiptoes and bare your teeth to the bulbs; prolonged, close-up exposure to blue light has the potential to harm sensitive gum tissue.
