How Can I Tell if I Have Bad Breath or Halitosis?

Symptoms of bad breath and halitosis

How is your breath right now? Unfortunately, one of nature’s cruel jokes is that we can rarely assess our own bad breath. Thanks to a biological phenomenon known as habituation, we are increasingly less sensitive to our own smell, simply because of our constant exposure to it. Unless you experience symptoms of halitosis such as extreme oral dryness or a bad taste in your mouth, you could be completely unaware of your own foul breath.

Naturally, no one wants to remain blatantly unaware of their own bad breath, as this could result in unpleasant social and professional interactions, as well as an embarrassing eventual discovery of halitosis. Fortunately, there are a few ways in which you can evaluate your breath to determine whether you have halitosis. First, you could ask a trusted friend or close relative to check your breath for you and offer honest feedback. While this method is not always feasible depending on the circumstances, two other alternatives are available for use in nearly any situation.

One way to check for halitosis is to lick the back of your wrist and let the saliva dry for a minute or so before smelling it. Alternatively, you can scrape the back part of your tongue by inverting a spoon or using a strip of dental floss. By smelling the dried remains, you’ll know exactly how your breath smells at that time, but keep in mind this can change throughout the day.

For a more scientific approach, consider purchasing a home test kit that uses tongue swabs to check for the presence of sulfur compounds and polyamines. If your breath is not as fresh as you’d imagined, a number of treatments and preventative measures are available from Dr. Katz. Be proactive and keep bad breath at bay with treatments close at hand. You never know when you (or someone near you) may need a quick remedy for embarrassing symptoms of bad breath.