My bad breath, why am I the last to know?…From ‘first aid’ after eating garlic to a chronic halitosis checklist - 경향신문

This article was translated by an AI tool. Feedback Here.

Bad breath is not a matter of ‘manners’ or ‘cleanliness’ but a common symptom that can happen to anyone. pexels

After a lunch loaded with garlic, you may find yourself keeping a distance when you head into an afternoon meeting. You worry after coffee, and after eating foods with onions, too. Yet there is a more important issue. People with bad breath often do not recognize their own odor.

Worried about halitosis, you may pop mints or rinse often, yet you may not be able to judge accurately whether you smell. So how can you check for bad breath, and how can you reduce it when it suddenly becomes a concern?

A feature of the sense of smell explains why people do not notice their own breath. Continuous exposure to the same odor leads to olfactory adaptation, in which detection becomes dulled as the nose gets used to it. Halitosis in particular is generated in the mouth, so you continuously smell it yourself. As a result, others may notice it while you do not.

Conversely, some people are convinced only they have bad breath when others do not notice any particular smell. This is sometimes called ‘pseudo-halitosis’. Of course, it is important to verify actual halitosis through objective assessment. In other words, dabbing saliva on your wrist and sniffing it or cupping your hand over your mouth is only a rough reference and is not an accurate way to determine the presence and degree of bad breath. If halitosis keeps worrying you, it is more accurate to ask those around you discreetly or be tested at a dental clinic.

When bad breath occurs, people often first think of stomach or digestion problems, but many cases of persistent halitosis start in the mouth. Bacteria in the mouth break down food debris, saliva, and proteins shed from the oral mucosa, producing volatile sulfur compounds that create the characteristic unpleasant odor. The American Dental Association (ADA) cites volatile sulfur compounds generated by bacteria associated with food breakdown, dental plaque, and oral disease as major causes of halitosis. Therefore, brushing only your teeth may be insufficient.

After you have eaten something that makes you worry about odor, the simplest emergency step for halitosis is to drink water. Saliva plays an important role in rinsing the mouth and reducing odor-causing substances. Drinking water can prevent your mouth from drying out and may help stimulate saliva. This is especially useful when your mouth is parched after drinking coffee or talking a lot; sip water frequently. Dry mouth itself can worsen halitosis. The ADA also explains that xerostomia can be related to bad breath.

Foods with strong odors such as garlic or onions are trickier. The problem is not only residue left in the mouth. Some sulfur compounds in garlic are absorbed during digestion, travel in the bloodstream, and can be exhaled through the lungs. For this reason, the smell of garlic can persist on your breath for a while even after brushing and rinsing. If you have just eaten garlic, start with brushing, flossing, and tongue cleaning to reduce food and bacteria in the mouth, and drink water. If odor remains afterward, merely masking it with mints or gum may not fully solve it.

If you are concerned about halitosis, it is a good idea to care for your tongue when you brush. Food debris and bacteria can adhere to the tongue surface to form a coating, which can generate odor-producing substances. The United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) recommends gently cleaning the tongue once a day with a tongue cleaner or scraper. It also advises cleaning between teeth once a day with floss or interdental brushes. Scraping the tongue hard is not better. Rubbing until it bleeds can be irritating. ‘Gently, every day’ matters most.

If you cannot brush right before a meeting, sugar-free gum is a practical option. Chewing gum increases saliva flow and helps rinse the mouth. What matters here is ‘sugar-free’. Continuously sucking on sugary candies is not a good choice for preventing cavities. Gum does not fundamentally treat bad breath. It cannot replace brushing or flossing, and it is best regarded as a temporary adjunct to reduce odor.

Green tea and mint tea, and crisp vegetables such as celery or cucumber, are sometimes suggested as ways to reduce halitosis. Polyphenols in green tea may affect odor-producing compounds. However, do not treat such foods or teas as ‘a bad-breath cure’. If halitosis recurs, prioritizing proper care of teeth, gums, and tongue and finding the cause comes before drinking green tea.

Sometimes your breath smells again shortly after using a mouthwash. This is not strange. A cosmetic mouthwash that simply adds fragrance to mask odor is different from a therapeutic mouthwash formulated to act on odor-causing bacteria or volatile sulfur compounds. The ADA notes that cosmetic mouthwashes can temporarily mask bad breath but do not affect the bacteria or the volatile sulfur compounds themselves. In contrast, products that include antimicrobial ingredients may help manage halitosis. Therefore, do not assume the cause of halitosis is solved just because you used a ‘strong mint-scented mouthwash’.

The reason morning breath is especially strong is the same. During sleep, saliva production decreases, natural cleansing in the mouth diminishes, and the mouth dries out. Mouth breathing due to nasal congestion, not drinking enough water, smoking, and some medications can also cause dryness. The ADA reports that many medications can induce dry mouth, which is also related to halitosis.

If your mouth is often dry and bad breath persists, do more than simply drink extra water and consider reviewing your medications or oral health status.

Still smell no matter how much you clean?

If bad breath persists despite meticulous brushing, tongue cleaning, and flossing for several days, a dental checkup is worthwhile. Cavities, gingivitis, periodontitis, or poor restorations and prostheses can be causes. Bundang Seoul National University Hospital lists not only poor oral hygiene but also gingivitis and periodontitis, dental caries, and defective restorations as key oral causes of persistent halitosis. If there is no particular problem in the mouth, you can check for other causes such as diseases of the nose and throat, tonsil issues, acid reflux, or severe dry mouth. The NHS also lists dry mouth, tonsillitis, and acid reflux, in addition to oral diseases, as causes of halitosis. In particular, if your gums bleed, swell, or hurt, if teeth are loose, if you have toothache, or if bad breath continues for weeks, it is better to see a dentist than to try to cover it with mints or mouthwash.