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| Brushing the tongue |
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| Breath strips |
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| Chewing gum |
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Phew! Don’t Breathe on Me!
Remember when you heard “Mom, she’s touching me!” and the solution was somewhat simple. Now it’s “Ewww, you have dragon’s breath; get away from me!.” The solution in the past hasn’t been so simple. Modern technology may have changed that solution from complex to simple.
That salad dressing with garlic sure tasted good, but…
People in the office are avoiding you even after you brushed your teeth and tongue. Don’t blame it all on a specific ingredient in what you ate. Bad breath (halitosis) is also caused by bacteria that live on your tongue. Some bacteria produce a foul smelling gas called hydrogen sulfide when they break down foods. Hydrogen sulfide is the same gas that you smell near some pulp and paper mills.
Sometimes it is not convenient to brush your tongue after each meal. Sometimes it is not convenient to brush when the need arises. Today, there are new products on the market that might be a good solution. It is easy to get rid of the lingering and offensive aftertaste of certain foods and beverages and those gas-producing bacteria that live on your tongue.
You might try one of the bad-breath fighting products such as breath strips or “functional” gum.
Breath strips unmasked
Breath strips (also called mouth freshening strips or edible films) appeared in stores in 2001. The first breath strip was a small, thin strip of material. It dissolved in the mouth and killed oral bacteria as well as leaving an intense mint taste in the mouth.
That breath strip product was closely followed the same year by a competing brand that offered the consumer a flavor that tasted less like medicine.
In the United States, 2002 was a busy year for mouth freshening strips. Two more breath strips from major manufacturers popped into the marketplace, as well as several private labels (store brands). In 2003, there were numerous mouth freshening strips that appeared in markets around the world.
Mouth freshening strips can be made from whey protein, gelatin, cellulose gums, or other ingredients. These ingredients aren’t new; we already consume them in vitamins and cough medicine. What is the big news is the flavoring used in the mouth freshening strips. Scientists have discovered that some essential oils in plants used for flavoring have bacteria fighting qualities. Dr. Christine Wu, a professor of periodontics and a researcher, discovered that some plant oils kill bad breath and tooth decay causing germs. Although her research was conducted on “functional” chewing gums (see next section), mouth freshening strips use the same essential plant oils. Her research on one product that used cinnamon oil showed that germs living on the subjects’ tongues were decreased by 43 percent. Other flavors produced a 40 percent reduction in germs.
Functional chewing gums
Chewing gums that are good for you are also appeared in 2001. Like other products, gums have evolved over the years. Medicinal gums, commonly called functional gums, work the same as breath strips. The gums can be made with the same germ fighting ingredients, essential oils and sugar-free products such as Xylitol (Xylitol fights decay causing bacteria.). Gums, however, are not socially-acceptable in some circumstances.
What may be the hottest news about functional gums comes from a company that recently received a patent to add zinc and copper to gum—“metal gum.” Metal salts are effective in fighting bad breath. In the past metal salts left a nasty metal taste in the mouth. In this version, however, the metallic functional gum will have enough flavoring to hide the metal taste.
Recently, a Swiss company has partnered with an American company to produce a gum that freshens breath and fights plaque and stains on teeth. The American company has been selling the product only in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. With this partnership, the American company can take advantage of the Swiss company’s confectionary reputation and sell to a larger market.
Fad or fit
Part of the popularity of breath strips is how handy they are. Manufacturers are hoping that consumers believe that mouth freshening strips are a better delivery system. You can have fresh breath wherever you go without carrying a bottle of mouthwash with you. They claim it is much easier to discretely pop a small, thin strip into the mouth than pulling out a spray bottle and spritzing. Breath strips are also socially-acceptable in situations where chewing gum would raise eyebrows.
Manufacturers may be right. Sales of mints and other oral hygiene products slowed down considerably, but mouth freshening strips seem to have caught on with U.S. consumers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that $1 million dollars in sales of edible films* skyrocketed to over $100 million in 2005.
Functional gums have cycled through the sugar phase, sugar-free phase and variations on the medicinal phase. Based on Dr. Wu’s research, this new twist on gum might be more than just a passing phase. It could be a growing trend in what was once only a recreational product.
*Edible films include products that are used in the food industry as well as in oral hygiene products.
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