In a previous article we discussed common misconceptions that our culture perpetuates regarding chronic bad breath, or halitosis. This week we’ll review those five myths and go into the reality behind them and how to remedy foul smelling breath knowing those myths.

Myth 1: Mouthwash eliminates severe breath odor

Despite common rumors about mouthwash being the quick fix to foul smelling breath, mouthwash in fact does not remove halitosis. It’s true that using mouthwash as part of your dental hygiene routine helps promote positive dental health; however, mouthwash cannot fix halitosis. When one suffers from chronic halitosis, the cure is far beyond practicing good oral hygiene. Mouthwash can actually worsen severe halitosis because the alcohol present in mouthwash exacerbates the halitosis condition by drying the mouth.

Reality: Use an alcohol-free mouthwash to continue practicing healthy dental hygiene without further dehydrating your mouth. If you find the smell persists, visit a doctor to discuss options for remedying halitosis.

Myth #2: If you blow into your hand, you can tell if you have foul smelling breath

This well-known ‘diagnosis’ for breath that smells is unfortunately, misleading and ineffective. As we mentioned in our previous post, your nose grows accustomed to the scents surrounding it and therefore, cannot detect chronic, ongoing bad breath. The cup your hands and sniff method may be effective for self-diagnosing momentary odors on your breath (like right after eating an onion), but fails to accurately reveal chronic halitosis.

Myth #3: Chronic bad breath is a hygiene problem

Some doctors who specialize in getting rid of bad breath and chronic halitosis often need to dispel the myth that bad breath exists because of a lack of proper hygiene. Most halitosis patients come to hospitals already practicing consistent and healthy dental hygiene. For chronic and severe foul smelling breath, the problem typically exists because of hereditary issues or a physiological conditions and have no correspondence with proper oral hygiene.

Reality: 90% of oral smell problems come from an excess of a certain type of bacteria present in the mouth. Various causes may trigger the production of these particular bacteria, such as sinus congestion, allergies or post-nasal drips and other nasal-related conditions.

Myth #4: This is caused by certain foods

Temporary odor on the breath can emerge from eating foul-odor producing foods; however, the smell is transient and can be neutralized by brushing teeth, using mouthwash or chewing gum. When speaking about halitosis, the mouth odor exists regardless of food consumption.

Reality: Halitosis persists regardless of the foods consumed or the foods avoided. As mentioned earlier in this post, 90% of halitosis cases are caused by hereditary or physiological issues. Furthermore, only in rare and extreme cases does halitosis exist due to stomach or medical reasons. It’s important to speak with a breath cure specialist to examine your symptoms and condition to determine the best course of action to battle your breath odors.

Myth #5: There is no cure

Some people have tried the popular misconception ‘cures’ to foul breath without success and come to the conclusion that there is no cure for bad breath. The reality is that those ‘cures’ for the odors are directed toward momentary, situational smells, not toward chronic bad breath. The most important step in fighting bad breath is accurately determining the cause of bad breath.

Reality: There IS a cure for bad breath.