A woman covering her mouth

Signs and symptoms that will let you know if you have bad breath

It is important to know whether you have bad breath. Figuring this out, and then taking corrective steps to get rid of it, can save or improve your personal relationships, your working relationships, and more. It is very difficult to smell your own breath, because you become acclimated to it; in other words, you get used to it and stop noticing it. This article mainly deals with discovering whether you have chronic (persistent, long-term) bad breath, but you can also use it to find out whether you suffer from temporary halitosis.

Know What Causes Bad Breath

To know whether you have bad breath, it is a good idea to first understand what causes bad breath. The following factors and conditions lead to bad breath. If you suspect you have one or more of them, you probably have bad breath.

Poor oral hygiene

Poor oral hygiene means brushing, flossing, tongue scraping, or using mouthwash too little or not at all — essentially, failing to mechanically remove food particles, dead cells, and other proteins from your mouth. Over time, poor oral hygiene worsens bad breath through a buildup of tartar and plaque, and it can lead to other medical conditions that help the bacteria population grow.

Dry Mouth (xerostomia)

Dry mouth may be caused by diet, medications, medical conditions, and other factors. A dry mouth is good for bacteria because it contains less saliva, and saliva contains oxygen, which kills anaerobic bacteria. Dry mouth is the main reason it is common to suffer temporary halitosis in the morning (morning breath), because saliva circulation and production are reduced while you sleep. Learn more about dry mouth and how to get rid of it by reading our article on Dry Mouth (Xerostomia).

Sinus infections, throat infections, post-nasal drip, and allergies

These conditions usually cause an increased amount of mucus. Mucus contains large amounts of proteins that anaerobic bacteria feast upon, which in turn leads to bad breath. For sinus and throat infections, seek the help of qualified professionals. For chronic conditions such as allergies and post-nasal drip, read our article on post-nasal drip to learn what causes excess mucus and how to prevent it.

Tonsilloliths (tonsil stones)

Food particles and other matter can become lodged in the crypts of the tonsils, where they calcify and turn into tonsil stones. In a 2007 study, 75% of people who had tonsil stones also suffered from halitosis. To learn more about tonsil stones and how to remove them and prevent them from forming, check out our article on tonsil stones.

Oral Infections

Oral infections such as tooth decay, cavities, wisdom tooth infections, and mouth lesions cause halitosis due to tissue breakdown, putrefaction of amino acids, and decreased saliva flow.

Gum Diseases

Gum diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis can cause bad breath. They do so because anaerobic bacteria not only metabolize the dead cells caused by the disease, but also eat away at living tissue and bone, producing large amounts of VOCs.

What are the symptoms of halitosis?

It is sometimes difficult to know whether you have bad breath. Here are some other symptoms and associated conditions that might mean you have it:

  • A bad taste in your mouth: metallic, sour, or bitter
  • Coated teeth
  • Stained teeth: yellow or brown stains
  • A mouth that usually feels dry
  • A tongue that feels dry or has a white or yellow film on it
  • Rhinitis (runny nose) or hay fever
  • Post-nasal drip or chronic allergies
  • Gums that bleed or look swollen
  • Partially erupted wisdom teeth
  • Regular toothaches
  • Teeth that feel loose
  • Tonsilloliths (tonsil stones)
  • People seem to avoid direct contact with you, or step back from you when you are talking to them
  • People around you offer you mints or chewing gum

If you have one or several of these symptoms, you may suffer from chronic halitosis. If you are in doubt, ask someone you trust and are comfortable with whether you have bad breath on a regular basis.

How to smell your own breath

It is often difficult to smell your own breath, because people become acclimated to its smell. Despite that difficulty, there are some tips and strategies that allow you to detect whether it smells bad. You can read about them in our article on how to smell your own breath.

How to get rid of bad breath

Bad breath is caused by an overgrowth of bad-breath-producing anaerobic bacteria. To get rid of bad breath, you have to remove the factors that lead to that overgrowth in the first place. The leading factor is poor oral hygiene. Through proper oral hygiene, you can remove the bacteria’s food source and make your mouth less hospitable to them. Consistent, proper oral hygiene will reduce the population of anaerobic bacteria until it reaches healthy, low levels at which bad breath is no longer a problem or detectable. The most important part of proper oral hygiene is the mechanical removal of the proteins and other particles that the bacteria feed upon.

Read our informative article on How To Get Rid Of Bad Breath to learn more about how to treat bad breath.