Good question. It is impossible to
smell your own breath by cupping your hand up to your nose and smelling.
(All you do is smell your hand.)
Your body is designed in
such a manner, that you cannot detect your own odor this way. It's
a human process called Acclimation, which is necessary so that we
are able to smell other things besides ourselves.
There are 2 ways to check
if your breath is offensive:
1. At the California Breath
Clinics, through the use of the Halimeter, which measures the concentration
of Sulfides in your breath.
2. A few quick home tests,
which will give you a good indication if your breath offends - and
costs you nothing (not as accurate as 1 and 2 above). Here they are:
Here are a few good ways
to test your own breath at home:
1. Wipe the top surface
of your tongue with a piece of cotton gauze and smell that. (That's
probably the most honest way.) Furthermore, if you notice a yellowish
stain on the cotton, it's likely that you have an elevated sulfide
production level.
2. Lick the back of your
hand. Let that dry for about 10 seconds and then smell. If you notice
an odor, you have a breath disorder because the sulfur salts from
your tongue have been transferred to your hand.
3. Run a piece of dental
floss between your back teeth (especially where you may get food caught)
and then smell the floss. This may be an indication of the level of
odors others may detect.
4. Stand in front of the
mirror and stick your tongue out as far as possible. If you notice
that the very back of your tongue is whitish, it may be a sign that
you have bad breath. Also, you can judge the reaction from others.
Our patients tell us that they are no longer offered gum and mints
and people no longer step away from them. It has significantly changed
their confidence and improved their lives.
5. Ask the opinion of someone
you can trust. Ask them to check your breath several times daily because
breath changes throughout the day.
6. If certain foods alter
your taste, it is a good sign that sulfur compounds are being produced.
This usually happens after using Alcohol based mouthwashes, eating
dairy foods, drinking alcoholic beverages, or after eating sugary
products (Altoids, candy, Pepsi, etc.)
If any of the tests above
prove positive (you notice an offensive odor or taste, you may want
to answer our clinical questionnaire, which will further assist you
in your search for fresh breath and taste).
7. Of course, as I mentioned
before, there are more accurate methods, the most accurate being the
Halimeter. This is an instrument which measures the concentration
of Sulfide molecules in one's breath and/or saliva. The border line
number for fresh breath vs. bad breath is about 75 ppb (parts per
billion) according to Dr. Yaegaki who published the definitive article
on these values. In our clinics, we have used these guidelines on
thousands of patients. We have also demonstrated the use of this sensitive
instrument on TV stations across the US, Europe, and Asia.