Nobody wants to deal with halitosis, commonly known as bad breath. While occasional bad breath is normal, persistent bad breath can indicate underlying health issues or poor oral hygiene habits. Figuring out if your breath smells bad can be difficult. However, there are some ways to tackle the situation. If you are concerned about having bad breath, this article will provide you with the solution. Keep reading to find out the tips and tricks for identifying whether you have bad breath and the strategies to prevent and treat it.
What is Bad Breath?
Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is an unpleasant odour from your mouth. It is a common issue that most people encounter from time to time. While the causes of bad breath can vary, the most frequent cause is often related to poor dental hygiene. Some of the oral bacteria produce sulphur compounds as waste, which contributes to bad breath odour.
What Health Problems Are Associated With Bad Breath?
While bad breath from mouth can often be caused by food particles trapped between the teeth, it can also signal underlying medical conditions that might be linked to bad odour. Understanding these potential health problems can help you address not only the symptoms but also the root cause. Here are some health problems commonly associated with bad breath:
Gum diseases: Conditions like periodontal disease and gingivitis can cause persistent bad mouth smell.
Tooth decay: Cavities and tooth decay can harbour bacteria that produce foul odours, leading to bad breath.
Respiratory infections: Sinus infections, bronchitis, and other lung-related health conditions can result in bad breath.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Digestive disorder in which stomach acid or fluid leaks back into your oesophagus may also contribute to bad breath.
Diabetes mellitus: People with diabetes may experience a distinctive odour on their breath.
Kidney failure: Kidney diseases, especially those with metabolic problems, produce chemicals that may cause bad breath.
Liver malfunction: Liver diseases can produce a distinct and unpleasant smell, which results in bad breath.
Metabolic disorders: In rare cases, the cause of bad breath could be a metabolic disorder.
Dry mouth: Taking certain medications can cause dry mouth as a side effect, leading to bad breath due to not having enough saliva.
You may look for these potential health problems if you have bad breath so that you can seek appropriate treatment and effectively address the root causes of bad breath at the earliest. If you experience persistent bad breath, consult with a healthcare provider for a thorough evaluation.
How to Tell if You Have Bad Breath?
Identifying whether you have a bad smell from your mouth can be quite difficult and challenging since you might not be able to detect your own mouth odour. However, there are some methods that you may try to assess your breath. Here are some of the ways to tell if you have bad breath:
Ask Someone You Trust
It may feel awkward to ask someone to look inside your mouth, smell your breath, and give you feedback. Just make sure you choose an appropriate person to ask, like a partner or family member. You can ask someone you are close with to take a peek at the inside of your mouth to see if they notice a white coating on the back of the tongue, a common sign of bacteria that causes bad breath.
You can consult your dentist to get the right medical advice if you are too embarrassed to ask a friend. A dentist can assess the air from your mouth and nose to find the source of any odour. Regardless of the outcome, a dentist can help you treat or prevent bad breath from happening in the future.
Give Your Breath The Sniff Test
Need to check how your breath smells quickly? Try the sniff test- there are a couple of ways to do it. If you lick your wrist, let it dry for a moment, and then take a whiff, you should be able to get an idea if your breath has an odour. Another method is to floss towards the back of your mouth and then smell the floss. Alternatively, gently scrape your tongue using a tongue scraper or a soft bristle toothbrush, and then smell the scraper.
If these methods do not seem to work, or if you continue to suspect that you have bad breath, it may be best to consult a healthcare professional. A dentist can help identify the cause of halitosis and provide appropriate treatment to keep your breath fresh and healthy.
Taste Your Breath
There is a way you can taste your breath, which will give you the same information as smelling it. If you can taste something strong, like garlic or fish, in your mouth, chances are others can smell it on your breath, too. A dry mouth or dehydration can also affect the taste of your breath. Signs of dry mouth include thick, foamy saliva and a change in taste. If you have a dry mouth while sleeping, it leads to morning breath, the term many people use to describe bad-smelling breath on waking up.
If you have a bad taste in your mouth, you may have a bad smell from your mouth too. Just rinse your mouth out with water, which washes away any food debris and stimulates the cleansing flow of saliva, and follow your usual dental hygiene routine after every meal.
What to do About Bad Breath?
If you are still worried about your breath, the best thing to do is to maintain a good oral hygiene routine. Brush your teeth twice a day, and floss or clean between your teeth at least once per day. You may also consider rinsing your mouth with mouthwash or using a water flosser to get rid of any lingering, odour-causing bacteria.
You may consider using a toothpaste that addresses bad breath for your daily use, like Colgate Total Advanced Health. Only 20% of the germs in your mouth are on your teeth, and the rest, 80%, are on your gums, tongue, and cheeks. Colgate Total Advanced Health is an antibacterial toothpaste that employs Dual Zinc + Arginine technology to fight germs for 12 hours on teeth, tongue, cheeks, and gums, giving fresh breath and whole mouth health.
