Tips and tricks for checking your breath in real time!

Have you a deathly fear of having bad breath, but you don’t know how to check that is hasn’t taken hold in your hopefully fragrant mouth? Don’t panic, here are some practical tips to help you out.

1/ Lick the inside of your wrist

Your wrist or forearm are areas sure to let you know whether or not you have bad breath. Wait a little until your saliva is dry and smell it. You should get a fair idea!

2/ Scrape your tongue with the back of a spoon or with your finger

Scrape your tongue with an upside-down spoon, from the back to the front. Examine the residue: if it is clear, rest assured, you have no problem with bad breath. In any case, it is very important to brush your tongue as well when you are brushing your teeth, because the bacteria that cause bad breath can build up on your tongue.

3/ Carefully inspect your mouth with a pocket torch

A practice to be avoided in public, but it is just as effective as a visit to the dentist. When reviewing the bacteria in your mouth: if you notice little white spots near the back of your mouth or on your tonsils, you should make an appointment with a dentist of your choice! Because these little spots, called tonsil stones, contain the bacteria responsible for bad breath, and should be removed by a professional. But don’t worry, you are not alone -around 6% of the population have them to one degree or another.

4/ Increase your intake of water

Have you noticed that you don’t have much saliva, and your mouth is often dry? A dry mouth is often synonymous with bad breath, and you need to make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the course of the day. You can also rinse your mouth and gargle with tap water, as you would with a mouth wash. This works just as well!

5/ At your next visit to the dentist, ask him to do a test

Ask your dentist the next time you see him to have you take a gas chromatography test. This is an extremely accurate measure of the amount of sulfur and other chemical compounds present in your mouth. According to the results, your dentist will tell you the steps you may or may not need to take.