Hey, dog breath, get outta town
10 August 2003
By Devin Rose
No halitosis allowed in our ‘hood—Chicago has a reputation to uphold.
Chicago has been named the Best Breath City by Dr. Harold Katz, dentist and founder of TheraBreath dental products. Katz claims to have conducted thousands of interviews and done extensive medical “breath testing” with the Halimeter®, an instrument that tests the sulfur compounds responsible for bad breath.
Why are we so fabulously fresh-breathed?
“Chicagoans drink considerable amounts of water, maintain excellent oral hygiene and use some of the latest dental products,” Katz said.
To keep this honor from going to, say, second-place Los Angeles next year, consider these fresh-breath tips from Katz:
Cut the coffee, which can dry the mouth and lead to bad odors, and avoid excess milk and cheese (the amino acids in dairy products are loaded with sulfur).
Katz must figure the “brush your teeth” rule is a no-brainer.
Of course you want to know, so here goes: The three lowest-rated cities were: Miami (it has an older population, and people produce less saliva as they age. Look out, dry mouth!); Milwaukee (too much dairy in their diet); and Sacramento (allergies from a high pollen count create mucus, which bacteria uses a fuel to create bad breath).