Halitosis, commonly known as bad breath, is something everyone worries about at one point or another. If you just finished a wonderful meal loaded with garlic or onions, chances are you know that your breath is far from pleasant. However, bad
Halitosis, commonly known as bad breath, is something everyone worries about at one point or another. If you just finished a wonderful meal loaded with garlic or onions, chances are you know that your breath is far from pleasant. However, bad breath does not just come from eating odor-prone foods. Chronic bad breath affects as many as 25 percent of the population and many people are unaware of their bad breath.
The good news is there are things you can do to determine if you suffer from bad breath. In addition, the caring professionals at Soundview Family Dental are here to help diagnose conditions that can contribute to bad breath, treat these conditions, and help you prevent bad breath in the future.
- Traditional tests: breathe into hand, lick wrist, scrape tongue, floss back teeth, do taste test.
- Professional tests: halimeter measures VSC levels, organoleptic sniff test by dentist.
- Sensory adaption makes self-assessment challenging due to nose-mouth connection.
- Causes: poor oral hygiene, gum disease, food/drink choices, smoking, dry mouth, medical conditions, medications.
- Soundview Family Dental diagnoses/treats conditions contributing to bad breath, provides preventive care for fresh breath.
Do I have bad breath?
Bad breath is something that we all experience at one point or another. There will be times when you can expect bad breath, such as after a meal loaded with garlic or onions. If brushing your teeth isn’t an option, you may reach for that pack of minty gum to keep the garlic at bay. But, how do you know if you have bad breath at other times? What if you suffer from chronic bad breath? The good news is there are some ways to tell if you are suffering from bad breath and might not know it.
While you can always ask a friend or family member you trust if your breath is far from fresh, there are some ways you can test your breath on your own. It includes:
- Breathe into your hand – Breathing into a cupped hand and smelling the air left behind is one standard method to test your breath. However, this isn’t always effective. However, with COVID and regular mask-wearing, it may be easier to smell bad breath yourself.
- Lick your wrist – While this might sound a bit strange, it is an effective way to test your breath. Lick your wrist and allow a few seconds for it to dry before sniffing.
- Scrape your tongue – Using a toothbrush or a tongue