The Science of Bad Breath - Assignment Example

Scientific American Current Issues in Microbiology Article: “The Science of Bad Breath” Due 11:59 PM on Monday, February 27th Each question isworth 1 pt. 1. Millions of people have had bad breath, and American consumers spend hundreds of millions of dollars on breath fresheners. Other than the economic impact and the sociological implications, why should physicians and dentists be concerned about halitosis? Physicians and dentists are concerned about halitosis because mouth is the home to hundreds of bacterial species with various nutritional preferences. Most of them prefer proteins or sugar molecules. These organisms may produce hydrogen sulfide- smells like rotten eggs; methyl mercaptan- smells like feces; skatole- smells like feces; cadaverine- smells like Corpses; putrescine- smells like decaying meat; isovaleric acid- smells like sweaty feet; trimethyl-amine urea- smells like fish. All these chemicals generate bad breath or halitosis and therefore it is emerging as a big social and economical concern for millions of Americans. In order to have excellent oral hygiene the spend millions of dollars and this is also generating concern amongst dentists and physicians to promote such measures to prevent halitosis and further complications that results due to poor oral hygiene. Oral hygiene is the root cause of primary health and bad oral hygiene may result in an invitation to numerous diseases. 2. What modern cures are available for halitosis? How does chewing gum work to prevent halitosis? Is chewing gum a modern treatment for halitosis? Explain. Discuss three natural remedies for halitosis and why they seem to work. Once the presence of halitosis is established, the affected individual ordinarily wishes to be rid of the condition. Basic oral hygiene encompassing- regular flossing and brushing cannot be underestimated as a preventive. The gingivitis medication chlorhexidine , an antimicrobial agent sold by prescription in U.S.A is quite effective against halitosis. Unfortunately, it can also discolor teeth, impair taste and generate oral ulcerations. These effects, though reversible, preclude the use of chlorhexidine for more than a few days at a time. Other cures encompass, tongue cleaning, an ancient oral hygiene practice from the Far East that is still popular there and that is catching on in the West. One early antidote mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud is gum mastic which may be the same ladanum referred to in Genesis. Gum mastic is the resin of the Pistacia lentiscus shrub, which is still cultivated for this purpose on the Mediterranean island of Chios. Modern synthetic chewing gums have largely supplanted mastic. Interestingly this resin is known to have antibacterial properties. Chewing the gum, therefore increases saliva flow as well as kill some bad-breath microbes. Chewing gum prevents mouth from drying out and can reduce bad breath in a few minutes. Chewing gums therefore help in flow of saliva which is essential to check the proliferation of harmful microbes responsible for bad breath. Other natural products chewed around the world for breath freshening include guava peels (Thailand), anise seeds (Far East), parsley (Italy), clove (Iraq), cinnamon (Brazil). Many popular mouth washes contain flavor oils, including menthol, eucalyptol and methyl salicylate (winter-green oil). These remedies seem to work as some of the molecules responsible for the flavor in these plants have antibacterial properties. 3. Outline how the BANA test works and what a positive test result might mean with regard to your dental health in addition to halitosis. The presence of several key bacteria such as Treponema denticola, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Bacteroides forsythus- in plaque or tongue coating can be determined in minutes in dental clinic using a color assay, the BANA test (benzoyl-DL- arginine-naphthylamide), devised by Loesche. These bacteria produce an enzyme that degrades BANA, forming a new colored compound. Positive BANA tests are associated with halitosis (bad breath) 4. Scientists have traditionally dismissed bacteria that digest sugars from having a role in producing halitosis; after all, the breakdown products of sugar are rarely odorous. Recent work suggests these bacteria may play an important role in bad breath. Describe this role. Various oral bacteria that prefer feeding on sugars instead of on proteins have traditionally been considered irrelevant to bad breath. Yet, much of the available protein in the mouth is actually in the form of glycoproteins in which sugar residues are linked to the protein core. The sugar-feeding organisms can clip the residues from the glycoproteins, leaving naked proteins to be digested by bacteria that favor them. Sterer and his co-workers have recently shown, using a simple color test, that the amount of enzymatic sugar cleavage in saliva correlates with bad breath levels. Enabling scientist to have future implications to generate remedy to attack bad breath by preventing the initial sugar cleavage. 5. Describe seven of the major chemical culprits of halitosis. What metabolism do these bacteria typically have and what is the primary chemical they are metabolizing that leads to the halitosis odors? Compounds commonly produced by mouth bacteria and their odors are- Hydrogen sulfide- smells like rotten eggs; Methyl mercaptan- smells like feces; Skatole- smells like feces; Cadaverine- smells like Corpses; Putrescine- smells like decaying meat; Isovaleric acid- smells like sweaty feet; Trimethyl-amine urea- smells like fish 6. What habits, diets, and physical properties precipitate and exacerbate bad breath? In healthy individuals, the very back of tongue, rather than teeth and gums, is the main source of bad breath, as this region is poorly cleansed by the saliva and encompass many small invaginations which harbor bacteria. These bacteria have field day putrefying postnasal drip as well as other oral debris that can collect there. Additional oral sources of bad breath encompass poor oral hygiene, gum inflammation, faulty dental work, unclean dentures and abscesses. Steady flow of saliva washes away bacteria and their smelly chemical products, things and actions promoting dryness of mouth such as mouth breathing, fasting, prolonged talking, stress and medications can exacerbate bad breath. Tobacco smoking is a notable enemy of fresh breath. Smoke may reduce bacterial activity but it dries out the mouth, worsens gum conditions and postnasal drip and leaves a residue whose aroma mixes with the preexisting oral bouquet. Bad breath is also associated with periodontal disease, the destruction of gums. Hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan are toxic as well as malodorous, they can damage cells and thus may lead to gum disease, when these diseased gums are invaded by bacteria and act on amino acids to generate bad breath. 7. Would the eradication of all the microbes that reside on the tongue be beneficial or harmful? Explain. In order to get rid of bad breath it could be tempted to eradicate all the microorganisms on the tongue, that would be the potential treatment for halitosis, but, these bacteria, however, also play a protective role because tongue also harbors the yeast-like Candida fungus in small numbers, the population of fungus is checked by the presence of bacteria. When tongue bacteria are wiped out by antibiotics, Candida can run rampant as a result candidal diseases develop which are more severe and difficult to control than halitosis. It is therefore harmful to kill all the tongue microflora. Read More