Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Sniffing Saliva
• Method 2 of 4: Assessing Breathing Directly
• Method 3 of 4: Outside help
• Method 4 of 4: Combat Bad Breath
• Tips
• Warnings

Bad breath is embarrassing and inconvenient. You may not realize that you have a bad breath until a courageous friend - or even worse, the subject of your sighs or your boyfriend / girlfriend - tells you about it. Fortunately, there are several breath tests that can help you determine if you have bad breath. These methods usually do not allow you to know what kind of smell the people around you smell, but with their help you will be able to judge the purity of your breath.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Sniffing Saliva

1. 1 Lick the inside of your wrist. Wait 5-10 seconds for the saliva to dry. Do this in private, in a secluded place, otherwise your behavior may seem strange to others. Do not do this test immediately after brushing your teeth, using a mouthwash, or eating something containing mint, as freshened breath can skew the result.
2. 2 When the saliva is dry, sniff the inside of your wrist. This will give you an idea of ​​how your breath smells. If you experience an unpleasant odor, you should take a closer look at the cleanliness of your teeth and mouth. If you don’t smell anything, then it’s not that bad, but to make sure you don’t really smell out of your mouth, you will need a different method.
   • Remember that this method evaluates saliva primarily from the tip (front) of the tongue, where it is relatively clean. Therefore, licking your wrist will help you to smell only the least smelling part of your tongue, while the most unpleasant odors usually come from the depths of the mouth, where the throat begins.
   • After checking, you can wash off the remaining saliva with water, but do not worry if you do not have this opportunity and did not have a wet wipe at hand - the smell will quickly disappear as soon as the skin is completely dry.
   • If you have faint breath, you may not feel anything.But if you're still worried, try a different method to be sure.
3. 3 Try to remove saliva from the back of your tongue. Insert a finger or cotton swab deeper into your mouth (but not too deep to induce a gag reflex) and rub the back of your tongue. As a result, bacteria that cause bad smell will be on your finger or cotton wool. By sniffing the swab (on the tip of your finger or cotton), you can determine what smell is coming from the depths of your mouth.
   • Compared to wrist licking, this method provides more accurate detection of bad breath. A persistent bad smell is created by bacteria living on the tongue and between the teeth, and these bacteria accumulate mainly in the back of the mouth. The tip of the tongue is cleaner than the back of the tongue and the front teeth are easier to clean than the molars.
   • To remove bacteria from the back of your tongue, try rinsing your mouth (both front and back) with an antibacterial mouthwash. Try bubbling liquid in your throat, clearing your mouth as deep as possible. When brushing your teeth, do not forget about the molars, and clean the tongue and gums.

Method 2 of 4: Assessing Breathing Directly

1. 1 Cover your mouth and nose with two palms. Fold your palms in a boat so that the air exhaled through the mouth enters the nose. Exhale slowly through your mouth, then quickly inhale the still warm air through your nose. If your breath really smells bad, you will feel it. However, the air will quickly escape through the gaps between your fingers, so this method gives only a rough estimate. However, it is one of the more subtle methods to quickly check for bad breath in a public place.
2. 2 Breathe out into a clean plastic cup or other container. Taking a deep breath, bring the glass to your face so that it covers your mouth and nose at the same time as tightly as possible. Then slowly exhale the air through your mouth, filling the cup with your warm breath. And immediately inhale deeply through your nose - this way you can smell your breath.
   • This method is a little more accurate than exhaling into your folded palms, but its results also largely depend on how tight the glass is to your face.
   • You can use any container that fits your mouth and nose tightly enough: a rolled up piece of paper, a plastic bag, a tight-fitting gauze bandage, or another mask that traps air as you exhale will do.
   • Using a glass, be sure to wash it. Before putting the glass back or using it for anything else, wash it with soap and water.
3. 3 Keep your experiment clean. Do not use these methods immediately after brushing your teeth, using a mouthwash, or eating anything that contains mint. After that, you may not have the smell that is present the rest of the time. Try sniffing your breath at different times, right after brushing your teeth, and then in the middle of the day when you are chatting with people around you, so you can better feel the difference. Be aware that bad breath can worsen after eating spicy foods.

Method 3 of 4: Outside help

1. 1 Ask a relative or close friend if you have bad breath. You can sniff your breath on your own, but with outside help, you will estimate the smell from the mouth much more accurately. The best way is to step on the throat of your pride and ask someone, "Tell me honestly, does my breath stink?"
   • Choose someone you trust who will be honest with you and not tell other people. Ask a close friend or girlfriend who will not gossip behind your back for help. Do not make such a request to the subject of your sighs or your boyfriend (girlfriend), so as not to complicate the relationship. Do not ask strangers either, as this will look tactless.
   • This may confuse you at first, but this way you can get rid of the question that is tormenting you and get a clear and trustworthy answer to it. It is better to hear the bitter truth from a close friend than from the one you are about to kiss.
2. 2 Be gentle. Do not breathe air into someone's face with the words “well, how does it stink?”. Be polite and always ask permission before doing anything. If you have spent a lot of time with some people, they probably already noticed that your breath smells bad, and did not tell you about it just out of politeness.
   • You could put it this way: “I suspect my breath smells bad, but I'm not sure about that. It's embarrassing to ask, but tell me, did you feel anything? "
   • You can also: “It sounds a little strange, but don't you think that my mouth smells unpleasant? The fact is that tonight I am going to the cinema with Anya, and I would not want her to notice it. ”

Method 4 of 4: Combat Bad Breath

1. 1 Find out if your breath smells bad only in the morning or throughout the day. Check your breath in the morning, afternoon, and evening before brushing your teeth and immediately after you find out how serious the problem is. By identifying the causes of halitosis, it will be easier for you to eliminate it.
   • Bad breath in the morning is quite normal. You can get rid of it by brushing and flossing your teeth and rinsing your mouth with a mouthwash.
   • It is worse if halitosis is caused by bacterial growth, but this fairly common case is treatable. Keep your teeth and mouth clean and you will get rid of bacteria that can cause bad breath to your breath.
   • The most common causes of halitosis are tooth decay, gum disease, poor oral hygiene, and plaque on the tongue (a white or yellow plaque that usually occurs as a result of inflammation). If you cannot determine the cause of the unpleasant odor yourself, your dentist will determine it.
   • If someone has told you that your breath is not very good, don't be discouraged. In the end, you will benefit from this remark.
2. 2 Take care of your teeth. Brush your teeth thoroughly, rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash, and floss regularly to remove plaque and bacteria from hard-to-reach places between your teeth. Drink enough water and rinse your mouth with cool water in the morning to freshen your breath.
   • Remember to brush your teeth before going to bed. You can additionally brush your teeth with baking soda to reduce the acidity in your mouth and inhibit the growth of bacteria.
   • Use a tongue scraper, available at many pharmacies, to remove plaque that forms between the papillae and folds of the tongue. If you don't have one, brush your tongue with a toothbrush.
   • Change your toothbrush every 2-3 months. Over time, the bristles wear off and bacteria grow in them. Change your toothbrush after an illness to get rid of any bacteria that may remain in it.
3. 3 Eat food that makes your breath fresher, and don't eat food that spoils it. Apples, ginger, fennel seeds, berries, herbs, melon, cinnamon, green tea are good for your breath. Try to include them in your diet. At the same time, try to avoid or limit the consumption of foods that can cause bad breath: onions, garlic, coffee, beer, sugar and cheese are famous for this.
4. 4 Talk to your doctor about the condition of your gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal problems can be the culprits of halitosis. You may have a stomach ulcer, reflux, or H. pylori infection. If the doctor discovers any disease, he will prescribe treatment and advise you on how to take care of your health in the future.
5. 5 Take care of the health of the nasal cavity. Allergies, sinus infections, and nasal mucus can cause bad breath, so every effort should be made to prevent and treat them. Try to keep the nasal cavity clean and fight allergies without aggravating them.
   • You can use a neti pot (a special bowl for flushing) to remove mucus from the nose.
   • If you have a stuffy nose, drinking hot lemon water, applying some saline solution, and taking vitamin C can provide relief.
   • When taking vitamin C, follow the dosage indicated on the package. Adults can take a maximum of 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day.
6. 6 Eat right. It's not just food that freshens your breath: a healthy diet can eliminate odor problems in the bud. Eat less processed foods, red meats, and cheeses. Try to include foods rich in fiber in your diet, such as oatmeal, flaxseed, and collard greens.
7. 7 Neutralize bad breath. Before an important meeting, chew gum, suck on a peppermint or dragee. You can successfully eliminate the very cause of bad breath, but even after that it does not interfere with freshening your breath from time to time. Chew something.
   • Chew on a handful of cloves, fennel seeds, or anise. Their antiseptic properties will help eliminate odor-causing bacteria.
   • Chew a lemon wedge or orange peel to freshen the breath (rinse the peel thoroughly). Citric acid stimulates the salivary glands, eliminating unpleasant odors.
   • Chew on fresh parsley, basil, mint, or cilantro. The chlorophyll contained in them neutralizes odors.
8. 8 Don't use tobacco. If you still lacked a good reason to quit smoking, here it is - smoking causes bad breath. Tobacco dries out your mouth and leaves behind an unpleasant odor that persists even after brushing your teeth.
9. 9 Discuss your problem with your dentist. To maintain good oral hygiene, visit your dentist regularly. If you have persistent halitosis, your dentist can rule out causes such as tooth decay, gum disease, and plaque on the tongue.
   • If the dentist thinks your problem is caused by a physical (internal) cause, such as an infection, he or she will refer you to a therapist or other doctor.

Tips

• If you want to get rid of bad breath in the morning, drink a glass of water and brush your teeth before bed. Be sure to keep your body hydrated as morning bad breath is caused by dryness.
• Keep mints, chewing gum, or other breath fresheners with you. Use them as a temporary remedy to help cover up the unpleasant odor without getting rid of the bacteria that cause it.
• To keep your breath clean, brush your teeth thoroughly, use dental floss and mouthwash. After brushing your teeth, lightly scrub your tongue and upper palate with your toothbrush. Be sure to remove plaque from your tongue.
• Taking a tablespoon of honey and cinnamon once a day can help eliminate bad breath. Parsley can also help get rid of unpleasant stomach odors.
• Brush your teeth after every meal to remove any food debris between your teeth.

Warnings

• Try not to induce vomiting. Don't stick your fingers too deep in your throat.
• Be careful not to introduce foreign bacteria into your mouth. Make sure your fingers or cotton are clean before putting your fingers or cotton into your mouth and holding a cup or other container to your mouth. Failure to comply with hygiene rules will only worsen the situation.