Do I have bad breath?

  The following is a simple way to detect whether or not you have bad breath, and this before you are told. Since we are not always in a position to feel our own breath because of olfactory fatigue (our olfactory nerves getting accustomed to our own smell), please do these tests:

   Take a piece of white, flavorless dental floss not covered in wax. Floss your upper and lower teeth in the back. Examine the thread’s smell and color. If it is red, there is bleeding. A yellowish thread may indicate the presence of purulent exudate. If it has a brownish aspect, necrotic material may be forming.

  Take two pieces of sterile gauze. Bring the tongue out by holding it with one of the pieces and then rub its posterior part with the other. After 45 seconds, smell the gauze used to rub you tongue. What does is smell like?Wet your wrist with abundant saliva. Wait until it dries and smell it. Is the odor strong?

 These three tests may help identify changes in your breath. However, asking a close friend to give his or her honest opinion is the surest way to obtain a definite answer. Ask your friend: ‘Is my breath strong? Does my breath use to be strong?'