Bad breath is quite unpleasant. For others, but especially for yourself. But what causes that bad smell from your mouth? And what does and doesn’t help to get rid of it?
Although we are used to brushing our teeth, you may also experience bad breath. Professor Edwin Winkel contrasts the scientific Quest something about a bad smell from your mouth.
Professor explains where bad breath comes from
The first misconception he wants to dispel is that a mint or Fisherman’s Friend helps with bad breath. “These remedies mask for a while,” he explains. The peppermint flavor takes away bad breath for a while. But according to Winkel, taste and breath are two different things. “Just because you have a bad taste in your mouth doesn’t mean you have bad breath. And with a nice taste in your mouth, you can still smell a lot from your mouth.”
It is difficult to smell your own breath, but we can taste a bad taste ourselves. That’s why someone else smells bad breath much better. With a bad odor from the mouth, it is the gases that accompany the exhaled air.
Gases leave the body through breath
One such infamous gas is hydrogen sulphide, which we associate with rotten eggs. Another is methyl mercaptan, the gas smell we know from the gas stove. But we also smell the sweet aroma of dimethyl sulfide and garlic breath on someone. Often, smelly breath can also be a mixture of these types of odors.
You can smell some medical conditions on the breath through your nose and mouth. For example, advanced diabetes, liver disease and kidney disease. But according to the professor, you can also smell a tumor in the lungs.
Tongue is a place for bacteria
According to Winkel, there are three common causes of bad breath. Problems with the teeth, gums or tongue. Inflammations or cavities create bacteria, which can cause breathing problems. The solution is really to tackle the inflammation.
But the tongue in particular appears to be a place for bacteria, due to the large surface area and the grooves. According to Winkel, a layer is formed on the tongue, comparable to dental plaque. “An accumulation of food remains, dead cells and a lot of bacteria,” says the professor.
Brush your tongue
Some people appear to be more susceptible to this than others, partly due to different amounts and compositions of mucus. So one person is more likely to smell from his or her mouth than the other.
By the way, the solution is quite simple: brush your tongue! So when brushing, take not only your teeth, but also your tongue. An even better option is the tongue scraper, according to the professor.
Do I have bad breath?
And if you are unsure about your own mouth odor? In the Netherlands, one percent of people have constant bad breath, according to Winkel. “7 to 8 percent occasionally emit an unpleasant odor.” And if you have any doubts? Then just ask someone if you actually smell from your mouth.
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