How to Detect Your Own Bad Breath

　　In daily life, halitosis (bad breath) causes significant psychological distress for patients, impairs normal communication with others, and severely affects their work and personal life—ultimately compromising quality of life. So, how can one detect their own halitosis?
　　How to Detect Your Own Halitosis
　　If a patient wishes to assess whether they have halitosis, they can cup both hands over their nose and mouth and exhale forcefully, then inhale to detect any unpleasant odor. Alternatively, the patient may place a small amount of saliva on the back of their hand and carefully smell it; if halitosis is present, the saliva often has a sour odor. Another method involves gently rubbing a clean toothpick along the surfaces of the teeth, gums, or tongue, then immediately smelling the toothpick—halitosis will typically produce an unpleasant odor on the toothpick. Patients may also try speaking closely with someone nearby, who can then determine whether an odor is noticeable.

　　Normally, individuals cannot perceive their own halitosis. To self-assess, one may hold a hand or a mirror in front of the lips, exhale onto it, and quickly bring it to the nose to smell. Alternatively, one may use a spoon to gently scrape a small amount of tongue coating (tongue fur) and smell it. If the scraped tongue coating—or the exhaled breath deposited on the hand or mirror—has an unpleasant odor, this suggests halitosis. Moreover, for optimal assessment, it is recommended to repeatedly scrape the tongue coating from the base (posterior) to the tip (anterior), removing as much coating as possible to enhance detection accuracy.

　　Patients with halitosis are advised to maintain good oral hygiene habits—brushing teeth regularly and drinking plenty of water. We hope this information proves helpful.