How to Smell your own Breath
Why is it hard, Why do it, and how to do it
At one time or another a person may want to be able to smell their own breath and check to see if it is fresh or not. You may find that it is difficult to detect your own breath. In this article we will cover why you cannot smell your own breath very well, why you might want to check you breath, and methods on how to be able to smell it.
Why you can't smell your own breath
It is very difficult for people to smell their own breath because a person becomes acclimated to their own breath, or in other words they get used to it so they don't notice it anymore.
Have you ever been to a persons house that smells bad because they have a lot of cats or animals? If you tell the owner their house stinks they might be surprised or say they don't even notice it. The fact that we become acclimated to smells is evident.
Our brains are designed wisely and have us become acclimated to smells so we can notice new smells easier. If we never became acclimated to smells it would be hard to smell new things such as food or flowers because our sense of smell may be overwhelmed by the smell of our breath or surroundings.
It is often easy to smell other peoples bad breath, because we aren't acclimated to theirs. If someone you know who is close to you has bad breath all the time, read our article on How To Tell Someone They Have Bad Breath.
Why check your own breath?
The obvious reason you would want to check your breath at a certain time is to find out if at that moment your breath is fresh or not. You may want to do this before a meeting, social gathering, or date.
Another reason you may want to smell your own breath is to determine the effectiveness of various oral care products. There are various types of mints, gums, mouthwashes, and toothpastes on the market now that promise fresh breath and it is apparent that some work better than others. You may want to test which products are the best for you by checking your breath after using them.
When testing products it is important not to check your breath immediately after using them because your breath will just smell like the product. Check your breath 1-3 hours after using the product, but make sure you haven't eaten or drank anything other than water since using it. Record your results for each product and be sure to be consistent with testing products to produce accurate results. Check your breath after using each product at the same time. For example if you brush your teeth with Crest toothpaste and check your breath after 1 hour, then make sure when you test a different product such as toothpaste from Colgate that you check your breath precisely after one hour as well.
Eating relatively the same food before using the product is important as well. For example if you are testing toothpastes and one day you eat garlic cloves for breakfast and then you brush your teeth and check your breath and then the next day for breakfast you have bacon and eggs and then you brush your teeth and check your breath, I am willing to bet the despite the effectiveness of either toothpaste your breath will be worse on the day you had those pungent garlic cloves for breakfast.
Methods on how to smell your breath
Here are various methods you may use to check your own breath. Some may work better for you than others so experiment and see what works.
Hand-Cupping Method
This is one of the most popular yet least effective methods. To do this method you breath into your cupped hand and sniff immediately after. It is not effective because we are acclimated to our own breath. In order to be able to better detect your own breath it is important to remove the source of the odor from your mouth and then smell it.
Wrist Method
- Make sure your wrist is clean and doesn't smell like perfume, cologne, or sweat. If it does wash it and let it dry.
- Lick your wrist with your tongue and wait 10 seconds.
- Smell where you have licked on your wrist. If it smells bad then your breath probably smells bad, if you smell nothing then your breath should smell fine.
Cheek Pulling Method
- Pinch your cheeks and pull them out away from your teeth.
- Push them back towards your teeth.
- Repeat this a few times faster and sniff at the same time.
- If you smell a bad odor, then your breath is probably bad.
Tongue Swab Method
- Take a spoon, q-tip, cotton-swab, toothpick, or finger and gently rub the far back of your tongue, the further back the better. Set the object aside and wait a minute. Then smell the object you rubbed your tongue with. Your breath probably smells like what the object smells like.
Swabbing Your cheeks
This is the same as the Tongue Swab Method but instead of swabbing your tongue you swab the insides of your cheeks.
Smelling Dental Floss or Toothpicks
This method is not as reliable as the others but does give you a good idea if there are particles or compounds in between your teeth that are causing odors and bad breath. What you do is use the floss or toothpick as you normally would and then smell it after using it.
Closing Note: One of the easiest and most accurate ways to know if you have bad breath is to ask someone else you know closely. If you discover that you do have bad breath, please read our article on What Causes Bad Breath and then our article on How To Get Rid of Bad Breath. With time and effort you will greatly reduce your bad breath and have greater confidence around others.
Below in the comments let us know what method worked best for you or if you have discovered a method that works better. Thanks!
cs
cs
IF you are reading this, you might be like me. I noticed that after a couple of days of not eating my bad breath clears away. The solution is in food mostly, I now avoid dairy and any highly acidic drinks like sodas or beer and when I test my breath by licking my wrist it doesn't reek anymore. Hope this helps.
I noticed I was getting a bad taste in my mout when I flossed my molars (my flossing regimen is spotty at best). I started flossing more and rinsing my mouth with apple cider vinegar. cleared it right up.
Keep it Real
So I had start noticing that every time I open my mouth to talk people started rubbing their nose. No matter where I went to work, at home, store just where ever. I asked my family why was they rubbing their nose when I talk the answer was that their nose was itching. At work I asked my friends of whom I trust and they also said no but rub their nose when I’m around. In the process I started only buying sugar free watermelon gum. One day I took my index fingers and rub the far back side of my gums to only realize it really smelled like crap. From the disgust looks regardless of what people say that I trust I have to say that my breath smells from others reactions.
TONSIL STONES!
Buy a waterpik, and flush them out, you will be thankful. Even if you can’t see them, they’re in there so find them.
I know i have had bad breathe since childhood. I had been told by friends and relatives and even teachers, it wasn't a pleasant experience. at that time i did not know how to make it go away, so i excessively brushed and it didnt help.
Recently I moved countries and my lifestyle changed dramatically, and I wondered if my breath had improved as i knew it was lethal before. I asked my husband and he said no.
But I know the problem hasnt left me. it isnt as bad as it used to be but it isnt gone yet.
i dont know if i have a bad breath or not. but everytime when i talk or breathing people around me will start rubbing their nose, like. its very uncomfortablle to me, i allready tried a lot of method but nothing works:(
Ya maaan
Ya maaaaan
Bad breath
Anyone else have crohns and bad acid reflux? It causes a real bad taste in my mouth and I'm pretty sure bad breath too. I brush 2 or 3 times a day and use mouth wash 3 or 4. I also have tonsil stones but I don't think they are a problem since I have very few
I have holes in my tooth and it stinks extremely even I trice it will still stink please what can I do
Not alone, thank u for the info trying everything.
Not alone, thank u for the info trying everything.
Don’t worry (SOLUTION)
Hey you reading this,
You ever wonder why your breath stinks after brushing and flossing countless times
Well then you most likely have tonsil stones (yellow stones in the tonsil; located near the back of the mouth) these are super stink and can be with you for a while or forever it’s a build-up of old food that’s slips in their and just rots, but your not alone because theirs a solution (it may not work for some but for many it will) but for me it didn’t work because my tonsil pits are deep therefore I can’t see the tonsil stones but first thing you wanna do Is check if it’s from like your underbite/overbite because the jaw will swallow the food and like push it in the tonsils although you probably won’t feel it but it will, so if you got a under or overbite get that fixed with braces and it should go away (at least that’s what imma do) in like 2 weeks but anyways start brushing more and get this mouthwash called therabreath...yes your bad breath will still be there but the smell won’t be as strong, get the blue bottle of mouthwash not green the green bottle the green bottle it’s not as strong but then after doing that if you have one I would use a waterpik ONLY if you have one bc if your like me it will be hard to aim at the tonsils bc you don’t know where the tonsil stones are because they are deep in the tonsil pits and hard to get out but if your tonsil stones are visible then.i would reccommend getting it. Then if that didn’t work then your last option would be getting your tonsil stones removed or tonsils removed but I heard they’re expensive and the tonsil stones will probably just come back so yeah but who knows you might not have tonsil stones so if your one of those people that thought you had it and don’t I’m sorry for making you read this but if you guys brush your teeth and everything everyday and it still stinks then yes you probably do have tonsil stones. Hope this helped
Bacteria Imbalance
Hi Guys, I hear all your plight, as I have been suffering with bad breath. Or that's what I think. You see whenever I ask my mum or my girlfriend if I have bad breath they just say no and deny it. But I know I have bleeding gums, and tonsil stones and that wouldn't smell nice. My point is, bad breath is usually triggered by stress which causes a lack of mouth saliva production, also a diet in processed foods, causes tonsil stones, and puss. So I am now eating a healthier diet, flossing, taking pro-biotics, managing stress, trying to sleep better, doing exercise. So having bad breath is an indication of others things going wrong with you. Use that to look into your own life and make changes. Also smoking weed or cigarettes will give you bad breath too. Good luck to all of you.
what is wrong with me
is it acid reflux? i floss brush drink water mints mouthwash brush tounge so many things and it wont stop, i think i actually have to BRUSH my tounge because i only scrape it, whenever i lick my wrist and smell it or sneeze there is a weird? smell and this little girl told me my breath smells horrible, my breath smells good when i brush it right away and 10 minutes later its out..
Bad breath from stomach
I HAVE BAD BREATH FROM MY STOMACH, ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING I HAVE LPR ACID REFLUX AND THE ACID COMES UP WHEN I'M SLEEPING AND INVESTS MY MOUTH WITH SMELLY BACTERIA TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT THAT NO MATTER WHAT I DID I HAD THAT BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH, I WAS PUT ON NEXIUM AND.P
2 PRESCRIPTION PEPCID 40mg pills and its getting so much better, you Need medicine for Addie reflux if you have any belly issues, took me a while to figure it out went to dentists, doctors etc, and it was all silent acid reflux please look it up and if anything just try pepsid ac over the counter or Prilosec and if your acid is still bad go to the doctor, my tongue is always white but breath is getting better in the morning its terrible anyways hope this helps
Bad breath from stomach
I HAVE BAD BREATH FROM MY STOMACH, ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING I HAVE LPR ACID REFLUX AND THE ACID COMES UP WHEN I'M SLEEPING AND INVESTS MY MOUTH WITH SMELLY BACTERIA TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT THAT NO MATTER WHAT I DID I HAD THAT BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH, I WAS PUT ON NEXIUM AND.P
2 PRESCRIPTION PEPCID 40mg pills and its getting so much better, you Need medicine for Addie reflux if you have any belly issues, took me a while to figure it out went to dentists, doctors etc, and it was all silent acid reflux please look it up and if anything just try pepsid ac over the counter or Prilosec and if your acid is still bad go to the doctor, my tongue is always white but breath is getting better in the morning its terrible anyways hope this helps
Bad breath from stomach
I HAVE BAD BREATH FROM MY STOMACH, ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING I HAVE LPR ACID REFLUX AND THE ACID COMES UP WHEN I'M SLEEPING AND INVESTS MY MOUTH WITH SMELLY BACTERIA TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT THAT NO MATTER WHAT I DID I HAD THAT BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH, I WAS PUT ON NEXIUM AND.P
2 PRESCRIPTION PEPCID 40mg pills and its getting so much better, you Need medicine for Addie reflux if you have any belly issues, took me a while to figure it out went to dentists, doctors etc, and it was all silent acid reflux please look it up and if anything just try pepsid ac over the counter or Prilosec and if your acid is still bad go to the doctor, my tongue is always white but breath is getting better in the morning its terrible anyways hope this helps
I have severe tooth decay and I know my breath smells terrible.
i think my bad breath comes from the back of my tongue, i tried the wrist method and my breath smells nice but when i tried the tongue swab, is smells so bad.........can anyone help, i don't think i can get the brush to the back of my tongue
Ay dis **** lit up in here aha yee let it ride bruh
Breathe stink but I'm still cute
These mf teeth make me sick frfr yep my breathe stink it don't stop me from doing what I need to do. I tried to fix it 😊. Don't like me cuase of my breathe **** u too but anyway I'm trying the coconut oil pulling method just started wish me luck...
probiocGum-blis/k12
http://culturedcare.com/
https://youtu.be/ZYdIneidn7g
Infection Protection Starts in Your Mouth
Did you know that your mouth is home to billions of bacteria? Some of these bacteria are friendly, protective probiotic bacteria that act as your first line of defense against the unfriendly bacteria and viruses that enter through your mouth and nose. Chewing just one piece of CulturedCare Probiotic Gum with BLIS K12 daily will populate your mouth with these infection-fighting probiotics and help protect your throat, mouth, nose and ears.
Tonsils Stones
Maybe it's tonsil stones. Try taking them out. I know some people have that problem.
Hi
Hi
Ms.
I go to my dentist to clean my teeth. I have no cavity and all of a sudden I start having bad breath.I use a lot of onion and garlic. I am very embarrassed because I never had this problem. I talk to my doctor about and there's no help. It's killing me.I don't know what else to do.
Use a tongue scraper or something, like the back of a plastic floss thingy. Boyyy you you’ll breath will smell better as I suffer from bad breath
Hmm so many posts without answers and weird statements like "my oral hygiene is very good but I have bad breath" Not very helpful.
BB can be due to different causes. I noticed if you have some kind of infection between some teeth a toothpick probing the area will have very smelly blood and once cleaned and well rinsed it'll disappear. Has for the tong deposit it's not so easy. I don't trust much tongue cleaning and scraping which really should not be needed (to a point) but I think it's more treating the effect rather than the cause. Well I leave it to that.
Literally I brush 3 times a day and I use mouthwash 2 times in a day and I think my breath still stinks so I am stuck up with gums without sugar ugh.....it is really depressing
HEY THIS THIN WORKS BRO MY BREATH AINT STINKI!
Dental
I used to have bad breath but now i don't because i learned about what the back of most tooth brushes have . The tonge scrubber. And making my tongue pink again. If you look at your tongue and it has white or yellow film . It'll probably stink . So scrub your tongue with the back of the toothbrush until it is pink . Best in the shower so after each stroke you can wash your toothbrush off .so you won't keep putting the bacteria back on it . Then floss and drink plenty of water . And if you trust it . Which i do it sometimes . Use hydrogen peroxide . And also i don't use it yet but try to get a natural tooth paste because all of the ones usually on commercials have lauryl sulfate . That is in soaps and does cause dryness in the mouth
My breath be stankin
My breath be stankin
I can't think of a title...
Why am I writing this?
Mouth is so close to nose yet betray our own nose. How can we expect others to be honest with us. DTA!
A few breath remedies the natural way: cloves, rosemary, peppermint, cinnamon, spearmint, coconut oil are just a few things you can use
bad breath when kissing
Ma bf says he noticed I ve a bad breath when we kiss but not when am talking.. can I ve a bad breath only when kissing but not when am talking?
Yall tripping Bubba ya teeth stink so what why brush let them fall out and get new ones
Bad breath
I have this problem since last year can't find the cure , please can somebody help me how to get rid of bad breath ? I wash my mouth and I scrape and floss it too and rinse with the mouth wash , still bad breath is there 😢
I stopped eating onion and garlic. It works and there is no difference in the taste of my food.