Hi,

I have a few questions with regards to halitosis or bad breath for which I have scoured the internet for an answer but as yet have not found a satisfactory response. I have a specific situation at present which I am struggling to control. Firstly my halitosis is not chronic and for much of the time is not a problem. The only time I seem to have a problem is first thing in the morning or when I drink alcohol. Most of the time I still have a white coating at the back of my tongue and I used to automatically associate this with bad breath but it seems that this is not always the case. Is that correct? Is there anything I can do to remove this as I find it quite unsightly.

Now I didn’t used to have this problem but I believe that some time in my mid to late twenties (I am now 32) I had gingivitis. The reason that I think this is I have some reduction of my gums around a couple of my teeth. This went undetected for a number of years as I didn’t suffer any bleeding and my gums appeared healthy. However after a friend told me that I had malador from my mouth whilst we were having a drink I decided to visit a dentist. There they diagnosed gum disease and changed my whole oral routine. Whereas I used to just brush twice a day with a manual toothbrush I now brush twice a day with an electric toothbrush, floss daily, use a tongue scraper and use mouthwash twice a day (used to be dentyl but I have just changed to retardex). I also now drink much more water daily (anything from 4-6 pints) as well as eating fresh fruit daily (is it true that apples and bananas have a negative effect on one’s breath?) It is now 5 or 6 months since I first saw the dentist and my breath has definitely got better with my new oral hygiene. As mentioned though I still suffer with morning breath to some degree (it is not as bad as it has been in the last few years but nowhere near as good as it used to be up to my mid to late twenties) and I still produce a bad smell from my mouth when I drink alcohol. As my gum disease has cleared up my dentist has advised me to consult my doctor or an ear, nose and throat specialist as they say that there is no reason why I should have any kind of malador at all now. Is this correct or is there a possibility that this smell that I cannot get rid of is the legacy of gingivitis which went untreated? Furthermore is there anything I can do get rid of it? I long to be able to kiss my girlfriend in the morning or go out with friends again for a quiet drink. These are things that I’ve had taken away from me which I desperately want back.

I apologise for the number of questions, if it is your policy not to answer so many questions then I understand. However any advice, help or direction would be greatly, greatly received.

Many thanks