Bad breath is something that can unintentionally spoil your day anywhere, even when you are impeccably dressed in your best suit and tie. People often remember to have a quick check of their appearances in the mirror, but it is not common to see someone swiftly checking upon their breath before going for an important meeting. Checking and smelling our breath sounds obnoxious, right? Well, it's better than getting embarrassed in front of masses. But do you know how to smell your own breath? Because sometimes we get so used to our breath that it gets highly difficult for us to point out when we smell bad. Let's crack this issue in this article.

How to Smell Your Own Breath

Contrary to popular belief, smelling and checking upon your own breath is not a rocket science. You can easily follow a few of the below pointers to get it done aptly.

1. Smell Your Saliva

One of the commonly used methods is to smell your saliva, as it is easy to do anytime anywhere. First lick your wrist, let the saliva dry for 5-10 seconds and then smell the area. The smell you get is more or less similar to what is coming out of your mouth. Don't use this method just after you have brushed your teeth or had some mints, as it will disguise the actual odor and fool you with a pleasant smell.

2. Tongue Swabbing Method

To use this method, you should put down a finger or some cotton gauze deep into the mouth without molesting your gag reflex and wipe the surface of the tongue at the back of the mouth. Then take out the finger or the piece of cotton and smell it to know your real mouth odor. This method gives more accurate results when compared to that of licking the saliva because it directly cleanses out the bad-breath bacteria lurking in that area. Besides, if you get a yellow stain on the cotton, it may indicate your system over produce sulfide, another cause of bad breath.

3. The Cupping Method

One of the best methods to detect bad breath in public is cupping your mouth and nose with your hands. Make sure you make a tight hold so that the breath coming out of your mouth has nowhere to go but to your nose. Breathe out gently and slowly, but inhale quickly to catch the smell. Mind that this method is can be very unreliable because the breath tends to sneak away from the minute cracks formed between fingers.

When at home, you can try breathing into a plastic or paper bag or a container, and then smell it later on. You can always try to smell your breath at various times, from morning, midday, early evening to just before bed, to keep a track on when you smell the worst.

This method is one of the best ways on how to smell your own breath but keep in mind that you will smell good after having a refreshing food item and bad after having a heavily spiced gourmet. 

4. Cheek Pulling Method

It might sound absurd, but pulling and pinching your cheeks can help you detect bad breath. Pull your cheeks away from your teeth only to bring it back to your teeth at a fast pace. Repeat a number of times and try sniffing at the same time. You may witness obnoxious odor coming out of your mouth if you are a victim of bad breath.

5. Taste Your Smell

You might think about the absurdities related to this one, but one can actually taste their smell, especially after having eating something rich in odor such as onions or garlic, or when you are a victim to dry mouth or dehydration. The thick and foamy saliva that comes as a compliment giving you a stale and yucky taste often imparts the truth about your breath.

6. Other Checking Methods

• Use dental floss: Put a piece of dental floss in your mouth, gently passing through your back teeth, where the food usually gets caught and smell it. Voila! You know how your breath smells. 

• Use a spoon: How to smell your own breath with a spoon? Just pop an inverted teaspoon inside your mouth and scratch the back of your mouth with it. Sniff the white material that has come out of your mouth and onto the spoon, and you will know about the exact smell coming from your mouth.

What If You Get Bad Breath? How to Keep Fresh?

Knowing how to smell your own breath is never enough. If you do have a bad breath, you might be searching for the methods to get rid of it. No worries, we are here with some tips.

1. Brush and floss: Brushing your teeth twice in a day for at least three minutes each time is a big help in getting rid of food particles and bad breath. You can even use baking soda combined with your regular toothpaste to eliminate the chances of bacteria growth. Floss will help you tackle the areas where the brush cannot reach, hence a must for every time you brush your teeth.

2. Rinse your mouth: It goes without saying that a big dose of mouthwash after every brushing session is a wise work to remove the stench of bad odor and making you feel refreshing.

3. Get enough water: Water is a boon that eliminates all the remnants of food particles and bad bacteria in the mouth. This is why doctors recommend 8-10 glasses of water daily, which you should make sure to gulp down without any excuse.

4. Choose the right foods: Eating right is always a necessity. When faced with a case of bad breath, keep a handful of cloves or fennel seeds which will keep halitosis-causing bacteria under control. Having citrus fruits is also an option. Citric acid stimulates the salivary glands which will, in turn, keep bad breath under check. Parsley, basil, mint and cilantro are other types of food items that can refresh your mouth.

5. Others methods

• Smoking and tobacco using is a big no-no, as they dry your mouth and rule it with an obnoxious odor of their own.
• Remove your dentures (if you use them) at night and make sure to keep them clean.
• Replacing your toothbrush after a couple of months is also important to keep your bad breath under control.