FAQ

Bad breath, Millions of people suffer from it. They spend billions of dollars each year to treat it. What most do not realize is that the products they may be using are only a temporary fix to an age-old problem and could be making it worse. Not only is bad breath a social issue, but the bacteria that cause bad breath may lead to long lasting oral health problems if not addressed.

Malodor, which occurs primarily in the oral cavity, is the result of sulfurs that are produced by anaerobic or “bad’ bacteria. Gases are produced which are called ‘volatile sulfur compounds, “VSC’s. VSC’s are responsible for breath odor and are also associated with the advance of gingivitis and periodontal disease. When gingivitis advances, it often leads to the bone loss of periodontial disease, which is one of the major causes of tooth loss in adults.

Occasional bad breath caused by foods containing high amounts of complex sulfurs, such as garlic and onions, are easily helped by using products to neutralize VSC’s. However, 90% of chronic bad breath is non-food related and is more difficult to control.

Clinical studies have indicated that where there are high levels of VSC’s, gingivitis and/or periodontal breakdown are often present. VSC’s have been found to increase the permeability of the oral tissue membrane, allowing for greater bacterial invasion, which can lead to these problems. A number of well-documented studies have clearly shown an eight to ten fold increase in VSC levels when gingivitis is present.

Of the estimated 40 million people suffering from chronic halitosis in the U.S. the majority seek treatment with alcohol based (Mouth rinse) and cover up sugar filled (Mints) products. While these products may temporarily reduce the bad odor they simply mask the problem. Initially, the high concentration of alcohol in many mouthwashes may help kill bacterial concentrations, reducing oral malodor, however the effects are only temporary. Alcohol has a drying effect on oral tissue, creating a breeding ground for bacterial growth, allowing the odor to return stronger and worse than before, (similar to morning breath). Alcohol products also indiscriminately destroy bacteria, eliminating both the bad and the good bacteria. Many alternatives to alcohol based products use cover ups such as mints, to simply perfume the mouth, also resulting in a temporary fix. Recognizing the need for a new technology Dr. Rudy Saldamando, a 40 year veteran in the field of dentistry, developed Halisan rinse and spray, two revolutionary new tools for treating the chronic and occasional halitosis. Dr. Rudy Products goes beyond temporarily masking the problem by specifically targeting the bacteria and VSC’s responsible for odor while nourishing the beneficial bacteria. This revolutionary formula is found exclusively in the new Dr Rudy Product line of oral care products.

“There was a clear need for a radically different treatment in the fight against chronic halitosis and occasional bad breath. Many patients, including business professionals and celebrities, were coming to me looking for a ‘cure’, explains Dr Saldamando. “After years of research utilizing many of the Dental world’s top minds, we developed a line of oral care products which has proven to decrease the level of Volatile Sulfur Compounds, the gases known to cause bad breath.

There is a dawning of a new age of oral care pharmaceuticals. Most of the world is using alcohol based products, as well as products heavily perfumed to cover underlying odor. Billions of dollars are spent annually in mouth washes, toothpaste, sprays and mints promising to deliver fresh breath and all falling short of the promise. Most simply treat the symptom and not the cause. Research and development of oral care products has undergone a revolution and an evolution during the past decades. Old technologies have been recognized as either doing too little or too much. Alcohol based products are used to eliminate any and all bacteria as a shotgun approach including needed friendly bacteria, dry the mouth excessively similar to morning breath, and need to be left “burning” the mouth for half a minute, which is almost never done, to achieve anti-gingivitis claims.

Alternative formulations deliver way too little. Baking soda is mainly used as a water softener and cleansing agent and often has little therapeutic value. Aromatic oils such as peppermint, thymol or eucalyptus use a perfume approach to simply cover the bad odor. Hydrogen peroxide attacks the right bacteria but works way too slowly on odor and breaks down to another clouded chemical, a hydroxyl free radical implicated in the disease and aging process.

The world’s dental research is vast as to the need to eliminate and control the bacteria responsible for gum disease, a disease that affects 90% of the planet. Gingivitis leads to unwanted bacteria entering our blood stream, which can affect the main organs of the body, especially the heart. The world’s scientific community has now come to widespread agreement into the true cause of the overwhelming majority of mouth odor. The goal is to eliminate the volatile sulfur compounds and some of the anaerobic bacteria that produce them. These bacteria have been shown to use VSC’s to increase the presence of Gingivitis.

The most predominant Volatile Sulfur Compounds are well known to the human nose. Hydrogen sulfide is the rotten egg odor and methyl mercaptan is the skunk and barnyard odor. All humans produce these substances, some more than others, even in healthy mouths.

A clear need was seen to found a company committed to the research and development of formulations to help neutralize volatile sulfur compounds and to target the bacteria responsible for producing them and to help oxygenate and nourish the needed friendly bacteria.

For this reason Dr Saldamando helped to develop the protocol to determine the relative effectiveness of oral care formulations in reducing the presence of Volatile Sulfur Compounds. After extensive laboratory tests were performed, it was determined that formulations using the combination of cationic agents in conjunction with sodium chlorate were clearly the direction to take, superior kinetically and thermodynamically to other formulations. This means products using this approach would work well and fast on odor.

In addition, Dr Saldamando wanted a product that would release oxygen to help promote the needed friendly aerobic mouth bacteria and target the anaerobic bacteria responsible for odors and gum inflammation.

This selective antibacterial approach, combined with superior elimination of Volatile Sulfur Compounds is what Dr Saldamando wanted for his products and is what he achieved.

Dr Saldamando’s formulations were successful in achieving proprietary formulations that were flavored to be palate pleasing for constant long term use and tested for long term shelf life.

Using these formulations to control bad breath as a social concern may be of value in the health of the gums. A number of well documents studies clearly show an increase of eight to ten fold in levels of Volatile Sulfur Compounds in the presence of active gingivitis.

The revolution of leaving behind old technology has led to the evolution of Dr. Saldamando’s formulation in products committed to being leaders in providing oral care solutions for the new millennium.

Oral Care products have undergone a revolution and an evolution during the past decades. The promise of clean teeth and fresh breath up to now have been left to the care of old technology which relies heavily on the use of alcohol or perfuming oils, masking flavoring agents and baking soda, or slow acting, has mostly oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide.

Unfortunately these agents either do too little or too much. Alcohol in the vast majority of those mouthwashes on the market today, are used to eliminate any and all bacteria, including needed friendly bacteria, dry the mouth excessively and does not promote the flow of saliva, The Sting you get when you apply these products exacts quite a price.

What do you do when you come to realize that you prefer not to use alcohol products and the alternatives deliver way too little?

Baking soda is mainly used as a water softener and cleanser and has little therapeutic value.

Mineral and aromatic oils such as phenol, thymol or eucalyptus use a heavy shotgun approach on all bacteria and use a perfume approach to cover up its underlying odor. Hydrogen peroxide, which is chemically unstable, attacks the right bacteria (anaerobic) but works way too slowly on odor (VSCs) and breaks down to a very harmful free radical implicated in the disease and aging process.

Dental research is vast in as to the need to eliminate and control the bacteria responsible for gum disease, the 2nd most prevalent bacterial infectious transmitted disease on the planet affecting 90% of the human population today! Now research and development into the true cause of the overwhelming majority of mouth odor has also resulted in wide spread agreement. The goal is the elimination of volatile sulfur compounds and the anaerobic bacteria that produce them. These volatile sulfur compounds (VSC’s) have become famous, or infamous, when medical reporting shows broke the news that research has finally identified the enemy in mouth odor.

After years of laboratory and clinical research and development, the approach of using cationic agents in conjunction with the cationic sodium salts was decided upon.

This approach emphasizes “selective” rather than “shotgun” bacterial targeting and oxidation elimination of VSC’s. In addition it can be pleasantly flavored and will promote salivary flow, keeping the mouth moist and healthy.

In order to differentiate our product line from the rest of the available products a new philosophy of how to interfere with the ecology in the oral cavity had to be implemented. Rather than using a broadband antibacterial approach whose job it is to indiscriminately sanitize everything in the mouth including the desirable aerobic bacteria which promote enzymatic growth in the saliva, a selective sanitization was preferred, targeting the anaerobic bacteria responsible for bad breath and implicated in the gingivitis process.

The effectiveness of salivary promotion is due to the bitter component of the cationic agent cetylpyridinium chloride which causes salivary glands to be activated. This additional flow of healthy saliva is beneficial in flushing out denatured bacteria as well as re-mineralizing enamel.

The action of Cetylpyridinium chloride in conjunction with sodium chlorate is thought to be due to symbiotic interactions with resultant desirable effects on anaerobic bacteria and volatile sulfur compounds.

Cetylpyridinium chloride as a cationic agent possesses the ability to denature the cell proteins. It is also bactericidal in low concentrations to a wide variety of gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Many fungi and viruses are also susceptible. Evidence has been presented that the major site of action of these compounds may be the cell membrane where the agent may cause the escape of the enzymes, co-enzymes, and metabolic intermediates.

Sodium Chlorate is a strong oxidizer and is a cationic salt. In conjunction with the cationic cetylpyridinium chloride, oxygen is liberated and permeates into the denatured bacterial cell. After oxygen has been released due to this interaction the oxidation of anaerobic microorganisms takes place, while remaining beneficial to the needed aerobic system of the oral tissues. This same oxidation process is what is thought to be effective in the oxidation – reduction of volatile sulfur compounds as well as the oxidation of the anaerobic bacteria presumed to be responsible for their production.

It is thought that the precise interaction of the Benz cetylpyridinium chloride and sodium chlorate combination as used in the pH balanced formula of Dr Rudy Products allows extremely low concentrations of the active ingredients resulting in long term safe use in the presence of delicate oral tissue as well as non altering of the physiologic pH Balance.