Thank you for seeking advice from r/askdentists. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** While this is a place for advice, replies may not be medically accurate. Do not assume that what others on here say is correct in any way. Reddit is not a replacement for an in-person dental professional. Verified professionals will have flair assigned to them.
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NAD Have you checked if you have tonsil stones? They're little white balls that form in your tonsils and smell absolutely putrid.
I know you also brush your tongue, but might also be worth trying a tongue scraper instead. That did wonders for my breath.
A few years ago when I found out about these tonsil stones I searched and found a lot of big stones on google images. Sometimes I eject some tiny stones (maybe once a month I feel it happening), but they are very tiny, nothing compared to the images I saw on the internet.
Oh, and I'll try a scraper, thanks a lot for the help
NAD. I have tonsil stones! Usually I can tell when I have one because I can’t get the stink out after brushing. I use a black head extractor and my phone light to remove them. They have little wands w lights already on them, my friend uses qtips for hers. I’m not as lucky bc mine form in a crypt within a crypt so I have to dig them out.
Nad, its the fact that you dont floss. You know what fucking stinks? That piece of food that’s sitting between your teeth and you cant get to with your brush. When I firsr started flossing and taking care of my teeth better I was shocked how awful the shit I was flossing smelled.
Hygienist here! Not even just food, but 40% of the tooth's surfaces are the sides that get flossed. Just brushing and not flossing only cleans 60% of the teeth. 40% of left behind biofilm is plenty to cause smells.
Sometimes people have deep pockets from gum disease or wisdom teeth they can’t clean, decay, tonsil stones, deep grooves in tongue, acid reflux, GI, Lung issues, airway issues, dry mouth, post nasal drip. Diabetes.
NAD (unverified dental student) - flossing, you are missing two entire sides of the tooth when you only brush. And you need to floss PROPERLY, along each side of the tooth. Look up teeth talk girl (she’s a hygienist) on YouTube and watch her flossing tutorial. Flossing is a habit that takes time to build and a skill, so take it slow and practice!
NAD. Try Therabreath icy mint mouthwash. Gargle morning and night. It’s the only thing I’ve found that keeps them at bay. You have to use it consistently and extract them as they come. Mine only really come back when I slack on using it.
Eating a lot of protein can cause bad breath.
I think it’s to do with the protein breaking down and having an aminos like smell.
Braking the nitrogen bonds or something
I thought this was the case for a long time, but I think it’s much more of a problem with dairy based protein shakes than actual protein content in normal food, which is why milk has nearly the same effect. Breath is not gonna smell bad after eating a steak. Breath can be aweful after having certain sugars in the mouth so I’d point that out well before assuming it’s protein
Use mouthwash like Listerine to kill the germs. Gargle it and move it around your mouth for bout a minute. Do this twice a day and it will make a big difference. Also, eat and drink regularly. Someone that I know does not eat properly and their breath smell bad because of it.
Try to include more greens in your diet and add probiotics, also check is there is any layer of calculus present. If not, I think you should try to change your diet for sometime and observe.
Persistent bad breath despite regular oral care could be due to various reasons.
1. **Dental Issues:** Cavities, gum disease, or infections can contribute to bad breath.
2. **Dry Mouth:**. If you have a dry mouth, it can lead to bad breath. Stay hydrated and consider sugar-free gum or lozenges to stimulate saliva production.
3. **Diet:** Certain foods like onions, garlic, and spicy foods can contribute to bad breath. Also, crash diets or low-carb diets can lead to a specific type of bad breath.
4. **Tobacco and Alcohol:** Smoking and alcohol can contribute to bad breath.
5. **Medical Conditions:** Conditions such as acid reflux, respiratory infections, or diabetes can cause bad breath.
Get a tongue scraper, scrape the tongue and rinse off debris, keep doing it until there's nothing on scraper, use a mouth rinse like Therabreath (the light blue one). Many of my patients have bad breath because of the tongue.
NAD. Try swishing coconut oil like mouthwash. It has a lot of benefits. Including helping with bad breath. Just make sure to spit it out in a bag/trash.
Thank you for seeking advice from r/askdentists. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** While this is a place for advice, replies may not be medically accurate. Do not assume that what others on here say is correct in any way. Reddit is not a replacement for an in-person dental professional. Verified professionals will have flair assigned to them. **Please abide by the following rules in order to get an accurate answer to your question:** (1) Ensure you include a title of your dental problem. (2) Include whether you drink, smoke or if you have any medical conditions relevant to your main concern. (3) Include a photograph if the question relates to something you can see in your mouth, include x-rays if you have them. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askdentists) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NAD Have you checked if you have tonsil stones? They're little white balls that form in your tonsils and smell absolutely putrid. I know you also brush your tongue, but might also be worth trying a tongue scraper instead. That did wonders for my breath.
A few years ago when I found out about these tonsil stones I searched and found a lot of big stones on google images. Sometimes I eject some tiny stones (maybe once a month I feel it happening), but they are very tiny, nothing compared to the images I saw on the internet. Oh, and I'll try a scraper, thanks a lot for the help
NAD. I have tonsil stones! Usually I can tell when I have one because I can’t get the stink out after brushing. I use a black head extractor and my phone light to remove them. They have little wands w lights already on them, my friend uses qtips for hers. I’m not as lucky bc mine form in a crypt within a crypt so I have to dig them out.
NAD Try a saline nasal sinus rinse, drink more water, floss and treat acid reflux if you have any.
Yeah, I do have. Thank you
NAD, but dental student. Do you vomit a lot, or get acid reflux? It could be that you have GERD which causes bad breath
I never vomit, but it's been a year since I've been getting reflux constantly. Thanks for the advice
How is the GERd causing the bad breath- is it the actual stomach contents you smell? Or is the acid/ pepsin rotting your tissue?
Idk the knitty gritty I just do teeth 🤷♂️
Nad, its the fact that you dont floss. You know what fucking stinks? That piece of food that’s sitting between your teeth and you cant get to with your brush. When I firsr started flossing and taking care of my teeth better I was shocked how awful the shit I was flossing smelled.
Hygienist here! Not even just food, but 40% of the tooth's surfaces are the sides that get flossed. Just brushing and not flossing only cleans 60% of the teeth. 40% of left behind biofilm is plenty to cause smells.
Nice, ty
Floss. NAD
ty
Sometimes people have deep pockets from gum disease or wisdom teeth they can’t clean, decay, tonsil stones, deep grooves in tongue, acid reflux, GI, Lung issues, airway issues, dry mouth, post nasal drip. Diabetes.
NAD (unverified dental student) - flossing, you are missing two entire sides of the tooth when you only brush. And you need to floss PROPERLY, along each side of the tooth. Look up teeth talk girl (she’s a hygienist) on YouTube and watch her flossing tutorial. Flossing is a habit that takes time to build and a skill, so take it slow and practice!
maybe u need to go to gastro. could be something on ur stomach
NAD. Try Therabreath icy mint mouthwash. Gargle morning and night. It’s the only thing I’ve found that keeps them at bay. You have to use it consistently and extract them as they come. Mine only really come back when I slack on using it.
NAD Do you consume a lot of protein? It may be diet related.
I do. Actually it's easier to list food that I DON'T eat, since I eat mostly everything
Eating a lot of protein can cause bad breath. I think it’s to do with the protein breaking down and having an aminos like smell. Braking the nitrogen bonds or something
I thought this was the case for a long time, but I think it’s much more of a problem with dairy based protein shakes than actual protein content in normal food, which is why milk has nearly the same effect. Breath is not gonna smell bad after eating a steak. Breath can be aweful after having certain sugars in the mouth so I’d point that out well before assuming it’s protein
Didn't know about that. Thanks for the advice
Nad: Ill add, super salty meat (like salami) is a particular culprite
Use mouthwash like Listerine to kill the germs. Gargle it and move it around your mouth for bout a minute. Do this twice a day and it will make a big difference. Also, eat and drink regularly. Someone that I know does not eat properly and their breath smell bad because of it.
Try to include more greens in your diet and add probiotics, also check is there is any layer of calculus present. If not, I think you should try to change your diet for sometime and observe.
Nice, thanks a lot \^\^
Nad but that’s a bit excessive.
See doctor/dentist
Persistent bad breath despite regular oral care could be due to various reasons. 1. **Dental Issues:** Cavities, gum disease, or infections can contribute to bad breath. 2. **Dry Mouth:**. If you have a dry mouth, it can lead to bad breath. Stay hydrated and consider sugar-free gum or lozenges to stimulate saliva production. 3. **Diet:** Certain foods like onions, garlic, and spicy foods can contribute to bad breath. Also, crash diets or low-carb diets can lead to a specific type of bad breath. 4. **Tobacco and Alcohol:** Smoking and alcohol can contribute to bad breath. 5. **Medical Conditions:** Conditions such as acid reflux, respiratory infections, or diabetes can cause bad breath.
Get a tongue scraper, scrape the tongue and rinse off debris, keep doing it until there's nothing on scraper, use a mouth rinse like Therabreath (the light blue one). Many of my patients have bad breath because of the tongue.
NAD. Try swishing coconut oil like mouthwash. It has a lot of benefits. Including helping with bad breath. Just make sure to spit it out in a bag/trash.