1. The first of these misconceptions is that most people believe they can easily know if they ever have bad breath. Unfortunately, the truth is that most of the time, other people will notice your bad breath before you even realize that you have it. Most people test the freshness of their breath by breathing on their hands. You might have even tried it yourself. Sorry to say, this technique doesn't work half of the time.



If you really want to know what your breath smells like, there are three ways to approach it. You can ask someone you trust to tell you if your breath is offensive; you can see a dentist who has access to a breath testing instrument called a 'halimeter;' or you can do a self test. The self test is performed by using a cotton swab to swab as far back as you can on the top of your tongue (an alternate method is to use an inverted spoon to gently scrape your tongue). After the swab (or spoon) has dried for just a couple minutes, smell it to get an indication, albeit subjective, of how your breath smells.

2. Bad breath comes from the intestines. True and false, but mostly false. While it is possible that bad breath can stem from digestive disorders, it is more commonly a result of leftover food particles stuck in the crevices of your mouth due to irregular brushing and failure to floss everyday.

2. Brushing and flossing will eliminate bad breath. This might be true in some cases but this assumes that people brush and floss properly. The fact is that most people don't. Most people tend to brush too quickly, leaving many tooth surfaces and crevices covered with bacteria. Another problem with this myth is it doesn't include the third, and most effective weapon in the oral hygiene triad: cleaning your tongue. It is a safe bet that the majority of people never even consider cleaning their tongue. A tongue cleaner (also called a tongue scraper) removes the primary cause of bad breath which is the buildup of mucus and bacteria on the tongue.

4. One more widely held belief about bad breath is that it can be eliminated by using a mouthwash. Not so. Mouthwashes can be useful as a quick fix especially if you are eating out and are not able to brush properly. However, like most quick fixes, these products do not offer a long-term solution to your bad breath dilemma. If you rely on mouthwashes, you will be consuming bottle after bottle without actually dealing with the root of your problem.

Bad breath usually comes from the oral bacteria that have accumulated in the mouth. They feed on the microscopic leftover food particles stuck in between the teeth or resting on the surface of your tongue. In the process of breaking down the proteins in the food particles, these bacteria emit the sulfuric substance that reeks of rotten eggs.

Next time you go to buy mouthwash (and if you have a bad breath problem and use an alcohol-based mouthwash, the next time should be today), check the labels on the mouthwashes and look for "chlorine dioxide" or "stabilized chlorine dioxide." Mouthwashes with chlorine dioxide or stabilized chlorine dioxide actually attack that sulfurous, 'rotten egg' smell that oral bacteria leaves behind and won't dry out your mouth.

NOTE: According to the makers of "ProFresh Oral Rinse," their mouthwash is the "only" mouthwash on the market that actually contains chlorine dioxide, because they claim to have a patent that states that they have the exclusive right to use that chemical in a mouthwash. According to their literature, all other mouthwashes use 'stabilized chlorine dioxide' which is actually 'sodium chlorite,' a chemical used in the manufacture of chlorine dioxide. You be the judge! Manufacturers can "claim" anything, all that matters is which one works best for you!

5. Eating certain foods can give you bad breath. True and false. Once more, this depends on several other factors. For instance, we all know that eating onions or garlic can leave a nasty smell in the mouth that some people might call bad breath. However, this is only a temporary odor and is not really the same as having halitosis. The same goes for sulfur-rich foods like cabbage. In these cases, you might have bad breath after your meal but it will fade quickly especially if you brush your teeth immediately after eating.

However, if your bad breath is persistent and doesn't go away, you might want to consider reducing your intake of foods that are rich in sulfur. If you regularly consume these foods, naturally, sulfur will always be present in your digestive system. The strong stench of this chemical will come out in your breath every time you open your mouth. But this happens very rarely. The more common cause of bad breath is still the lack of proper oral hygiene. To decrease your chances of getting bad breath, you must always be conscious of your mouth's cleanliness. Take the time to brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss daily, clean your tongue properly and avoid sulfur-rich foods. This way, you can avoid getting bad breath in the first place.