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People
with bad breath all the time invariably have larger amounts of bacteria
present within some part of their mouth or their nasal
sinuses.
To
rule out nasal problems you should ask a volunteer to check your breath
for you.
We
always recommend that you avoid using toothpaste, mouth rinse or flavoured
floss in your mouth and avoid using strong perfume/ after shave or
antiperspirant for 3 to 4 hours before you or anyone else checks your
breath.
Otherwise
any of these items can mask the smell that you are trying to detect.
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When
you have found a (willing?) volunteer then have them first sniff your
breath when you breathe out through your mouth whilst you pinch your nose
(to stop air from escaping here too). Then after you have checked that
your volunteer hasn’t fainted (this only really occurs in the worst
cases of bad breath) ask them to sniff as you breathe out through your
nose whilst keeping your mouth firmly closed. In both examples your
volunteer’s nose really needs to be within 2-4 inches of your mouth/nose
so make sure you’ve chosen someone you get along with.
If
the smell comes from your nose then that would indicate that you probably
have some sort of partial blockage in one of your sinuses somewhere.
Bacteria will have built up behind the blockage to produce the distinctive
smell that is able to percolate through. There are many different causes
for such blockages so in these circumstances it might be best to attend
your doctor who might suggest that you be referred to the local Ear Nose
and Throat (ENT) department at your local hospital to have this checked.
If
the smell comes from your mouth then you need to work out if it is coming
from your teeth, your gums or from your tongue (or any combination of the
three). Have a look around inside your mouth:
If
you have cavities or broken bits
present in your teeth then these will be producing an aroma all by
themselves. In these circumstances you really need to see your dentist to
get such teeth treated properly.
If
your gums look red and swollen
and especially if they bleed after brushing or flossing then they will be
causing a smell of there very own too.
If
the back of your tongue looks furrier
than a sporran then your tongue may be the culprit. Different parts can be
affected so it is worth checking to see which bit is responsible. The lick
test is good for checking the front of your tongue but the teaspoon
test is best for checking the back of your tongue. However, only
responsible adults should carry out the teaspoon test. We don’t
recommend it for children unless performed by a dentist.
Take
a regular teaspoon hold onto the end of the handle with your thumb and
forefinger. Point the scooped end toward the back of your mouth with the
part you actually put your low calorie non-sugar sweetener in (well we are
dentists!) facing down onto your tongue. Tip your head back and stick out
your tongue as far as it can go then proceed to place the tip of the spoon
as far back onto your tongue as you can get it. Push the tip of the spoon
down firmly against the back of your tongue and then pull it towards the
front of your mouth so that you are attempting to scrape up some of the
furry bits. Take the spoon out of your mouth and sniff the contents at the
spoon tip. Is this the smell you have been made aware of?
At
this stage we should make three points about the spoon test:
1.
Don’t go so far back that it makes you retch or gag,
2.
Don’t let go of the spoon when it’s at the back of your mouth,
otherwise you’ll see your cutlery drawer empty at a rate of knots
3.
Resist the urge to indulge in a little fire breathing or juggling
afterwards, as we don’t have space to go into that here.
If
your tongue does have a distinctive and unpleasant aroma then you can use
a teaspoon, or better purchase a tongue scraper, to get rid of the furry,
smelly bits. Be gentle and keep sweeping over your tongue until you have
removed the furry bits or the smell, or preferably both. It’s best to do
this at least once every day. If you are unable to remove the smell then
you should contact your dentist for advice.
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