Bad breath is very annoying and is often ignored. And to make matters worse, none of us know for sure whether he or she has bad breath ourselves. Because you can’t smell your own breath. While it is usually not that difficult to do something about bad breath.

Bad breath has a repellent effect

Tradition has it that Clark Gable’s bad breath was unfortunately not driven by the wind; Vivien Leigh hated kissing her film partner. Bad breath isn’t exactly sexy. It is experienced as unpleasant to repulsive and is considered the number one killer factor in our society when finding a partner.

One in fifteen people suffer from bad breath

It is remarkable that an estimated one in four adults in Europe occasionally has bad breath. And about one in fifteen people permanently emit bad breath. So it wouldn’t actually be wrong todraw the attention of people with bad breath to this. But most of us find that embarrassing. But why exactly? You could compare it with other body odors such as sweaty feet or armpit odor: many people suffer from it, but no one talks about it openly. People prefer to try to cover up the bad odors with all kinds of means (see below).

The cause of bad breath is often found in the mouth

In dentistry too, little attention was paid to bad breath for (too) long. Only in the last ten or fifteen years has people become more interested in the disease. That makes sense, because in nine out of ten cases the cause of bad breath lies in the mouth. Unfortunately, many patients are reluctant to seek professional help.

What else causes bad breath?

• In addition to poorly maintained teeth and inflamed gums, sticky tongue coating is the most common cause of bad breath. Bacteria can settle on the tongue and spread bad odors. Anyone who cleans their tongue with a tongue scraper or brush will smell good again;
• Stress can also cause bad breath; it inhibits saliva production. And in a dry mouth, smelly bacteria feel very comfortable;
• Many people in business take excellent care of their mouth and teeth, but still suffer from bad breath. The reason: they are under high pressure and drink too much coffee, which dries out their mouth. The remedy is very simple: drink plenty of water and eat water-containing fruits.

How to find out the causes of bad breath?

Whether or not one should consult a specialist depends entirely on how much one is bothered by bad breath. But anyone who suspects that they have bad breath is often very unsure. This is often reinforced by instructions or behavior from others:

• the colleague who turns his head away during a conversation;
• the child who holds his nose at a family reunion.

In such cases one may benefit from a medical examination. Often, during a thorough examination, the causes of the ailment can be identified and the person concerned can easily be relieved of his or her discomfort. The prospects are generally good: in most cases, getting rid of bad breath is not that spectacular.And often everything turns out to be just an imagination and the person involved has no bad breath at all.

Are there reliable self-tests?

Yes and no. The “airbag method” probably works best:

• take an odorless plastic bag and breathe it full;
• breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth;
• then close the plastic bag;
• stimulate the sense of smell by going out into the fresh air or sniff the scent of freshly ground coffee or espresso several times;
• then empty the plastic bag in front of your nose again.

Do I have bad breath?

• the only really reliable method: asking a trusted person “Do I have bad breath?”
• Often recommended is also the “Wrist-Licking-Method” in which one vigorously licks the back of the wrist with the tongue and smells it. But that can only give an indication of bad breath if the cause must be sought on the tongue;
• what certainly doesn’t help: breathe and smell into the palm of your hand.

Do sprays and lozenges help?

No shortage of promising resources:

• sprays;
• mouth lotions for gargling;
• chlorophyll tablets;
• peppermint leaves placed on the tongue.

However, all these remedies only cover up the bad smell for a short time and do not combat the cause. Anyone who suffers from a dry mouth could use sugar-free chewing gum or candy. Although these do not eliminate the cause , they do stimulate saliva production.