bad breath relief : Halitosis-Detection
While most of the population has transient halitosis, chronic malodor is less common. Regardless of the type of halitosis, proper diagnosis is important. The difficulty in determining whether an individual has halitosis and its possible cause/s arises because there are no convenient methods to measure this condition. Some self-monitoring tests and in-office tests are available to aid in the diagnosis, although they are either awkward or still need research to ensure their viability.
Self-monitoring tests generally involve obtaining feedback from a spouse or friend. Individuals may have difficulty detecting halitosis themselves because the brain has the ability to suppress odours stemming from ourselves. While procuring an odour judge may be embarrassing, it is the best method for at-home breath testing. If the odour judge does not wish to smell the patient's breath directly, the patient can scrape the posterior region of the tongue with a spoon or place saliva on the wrist by licking it. The spoon or wrist can then be smelled and assessed by the odour judge. The spoon test is better in case the saliva is not a good carrier of the potential odorant. There is also a home microbial test which is comprised of cotton-tipped applicators and test tubes containing a specific medium. After the applicators are placed on the tongue, they are inserted in the test tubes. If the color in the test tube changes within a certain time period, this is an indication that you have chronic bad breath.
In-office testing can include odour judge testing, microbial and fungal testing, the salivary incubation test, volatile sulfur detection testing, and, in the future, artificial noses. Among other problems, the current tests lack specificity, i.e. it is difficult to determine either the existence or the cause of chronic halitosis. The most recent machine on the market for detecting halitosis, a portable sulfide monitor, also has its proponents and critics. The machine is designed to measure sulfur content in the breath, but it can be inaccurate. At this point, the machine is better for monitoring a patient's progress than in obtaining an initial diagnosis. Most dental offices do not have the capability yet to perform these tests.
Copyright © 1998-2006 Dr.Rajiv S. Khosla All rights reserved
Self-monitoring tests generally involve obtaining feedback from a spouse or friend. Individuals may have difficulty detecting halitosis themselves because the brain has the ability to suppress odours stemming from ourselves. While procuring an odour judge may be embarrassing, it is the best method for at-home breath testing. If the odour judge does not wish to smell the patient's breath directly, the patient can scrape the posterior region of the tongue with a spoon or place saliva on the wrist by licking it. The spoon or wrist can then be smelled and assessed by the odour judge. The spoon test is better in case the saliva is not a good carrier of the potential odorant. There is also a home microbial test which is comprised of cotton-tipped applicators and test tubes containing a specific medium. After the applicators are placed on the tongue, they are inserted in the test tubes. If the color in the test tube changes within a certain time period, this is an indication that you have chronic bad breath.
In-office testing can include odour judge testing, microbial and fungal testing, the salivary incubation test, volatile sulfur detection testing, and, in the future, artificial noses. Among other problems, the current tests lack specificity, i.e. it is difficult to determine either the existence or the cause of chronic halitosis. The most recent machine on the market for detecting halitosis, a portable sulfide monitor, also has its proponents and critics. The machine is designed to measure sulfur content in the breath, but it can be inaccurate. At this point, the machine is better for monitoring a patient's progress than in obtaining an initial diagnosis. Most dental offices do not have the capability yet to perform these tests.
Copyright © 1998-2006 Dr.Rajiv S. Khosla All rights reserved
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