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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffDentists generally prefer morning appointments for testing bad breath. Don't eat, drink, chew gum, smoke or brush your teeth for three hours before your appointment. Also, don't wear perfume, scented lotions, or scented lipstick or lip gloss to your appointment, as these products could mask any odors. If you've taken antibiotics within the last month, check with your dentist to see if your appointment needs to be rescheduled.
What to expect from your dentist
The examination will likely start with an evaluation of your medical history. Your dentist is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:
- When did you first begin to experience bad breath?
- Is your bad breath occasional or continuous?
- How often do you brush your teeth or clean your dentures?
- How often do you floss?
- What kinds of foods do you eat?
- What medications do you take?
- Do you breathe through your mouth?
- Do you snore?
- Do you have allergies or sinus problems?
- What do you suspect might be causing your bad breath?
- Have other people noticed and commented on your bad breath?
Your dentist will likely smell both the breath from your mouth and the breath from your nose, and he or she will rate the odor on a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 being no odor, 1 being barely detectable, and 5 being unbearably foul. Because the back of the tongue is most often the source of the smell, he or she may also scrape it with a plastic spoon and rate its odor. There are sophisticated detectors that can identify the chemicals that are responsible for bad breath, but these are typically not used by most dentists because of expense. More affordable devices are currently in development.
- Armstrong BL, et al. Halitosis: A review of current literature. The Journal of Dental Hygiene. 2010;84:65.
- Bad breath (Halitosis). American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/2941.aspx. Accessed April 6, 2010.
- Struch F, et al. Self-reported halitosis and gastro-esophageal reflux disease in the general population. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2008;23:260.
- How do I choose and use a toothbrush? Academy of General Dentistry. http://www.agd.org/public/oralhealth/Default.asp?IssID=291&Topic=B&ArtID=1128#body. Accessed April 14, 2010.
- Rosenberg M. Bad breath. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 16, 2010.
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