Why Can't We Tell When Our Breath Smells?
It's a peculiar facet of human biology: we're often oblivious to the smell of our own breath, much like how many of us can't discern whether we sing well or even whether we sing off-key. While the solution to not embarrassing yourself through song is easy (don’t sing in public), it’s much more difficult to navigate professional and personal social situations without breathing.
Blindness to Our Own Scent
Our inability to smell our own breath, or olfactory blindness, is primarily due to our brain's efficiency in filtering out familiar stimuli to focus on new or changing environments. Just as we become accustomed to the constant presence of our own scent, we similarly grow used to the smell of our breath, rendering us ignorant of what others easily notice.
This sensory adaptation is a survival mechanism, allowing us to become acclimated to persistent stimuli so that we can detect more crucial changes in our surroundings. For example, if a Paleolithic hunter were preoccupied with the smell of their own breath, it would have been difficult for them to track an animal by smell. However, this adaptation means we might not notice the gradual onset of gum disease or the slow deterioration of our breath's freshness.
This phenomenon is akin to not recognizing the quality of our own singing voice. Just as singers might use the trick of placing two pieces of paper in front of their ears to better hear their pitch and tone, there are a few methods to help us "smell" our breath objectively:
Hand Test: Cup your hand(s) in front of your mouth and huff out gently through the mouth while breathing in through the nose.
Lick Test: Lick your wrist, let it dry for a moment, and then smell your wrist.
Floss Test: Use dental floss between teeth near the back of your mouth and then smell the floss.
These self-tests are simple ways to get around our natural olfactory adaptation and can serve as quick and easy checks. Depending on the specific cause of bad breath, it may be most noticeable to others when you talk. The time of day, what you eat or drink, and other factors can affect how bad your breath is. Though, garlic-and-onion breath aside; it is unusual for a healthy mouth to produce a truly offensive odor.
Gum disease or gingivitis can make your breath smell like rotten eggs due to sulphur-producing bacteria, moldy meat, or garbage. Here is a more detailed list of odd smells that you might detect from your breath and what they mean: https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-bad-breath-smells.
Bad Breath is Common; Being Told Is Rare
While people are quick to criticize a screeching falsetto, it feels rude to tell someone they have bad breath, especially if it is noticeable every day. So, if your mouth odor is leaving a bad impression at the office or on dates, the only hint you might receive is failing to get a promotion or a second date.
Halitosis (bad breath) affects somewhere between 25% and 75% of people, depending on which research paper you go by. Regardless of the exact number, offensive breath from gum disease is all too common despite being easily treated in most cases.
Better Breath and Better Oral Health
If you suffer from bad breath, swollen or bleeding gums, or other signs of gum disease, periodontist Dr. Kelner can help. At Kelner Periodontics, we can provide a proper assessment of your oral health to identify and treat gum disease before it creates painful or costly complications like tooth decay, receding gums, or bone loss. We can also help restore and maintain your oral health to prevent the recurrence of gingivitis and other common impediments to your dental health.
Covering up bad breath with mints or other breath fresheners can help mask the symptoms of gum disease but can’t protect your mouth from the damage being done if you fail to treat the underlying problems. Also, is the smell of minty rotten eggs much of an improvement?
If you're unsure about the state of your oral health or if you've noticed persistent bad breath, don't wait for it to affect your social interactions or self-esteem. Schedule your consultation with Kelner Periodontics today. Our expert team is ready to provide the care you need, helping you achieve and maintain a healthy, fresh breath with confidence.