Nine times out of ten the cause of bad breath is in the mouth, not the stomach, and in most cases it can be removed within two weeks. What it is, how to check yourself and what the dentist does. Where it comes from
The smell is made by bacteria that break down proteins and release sulphur compounds. They live where there is no oxygen and the brush does not reach: between the teeth, under the gum line, in tartar, on the back of the tongue, under the edge of a filling that no longer fits, and in a cavity. The stomach, contrary to popular belief, rarely affects the breath; the oesophagus is normally closed.
The most common causes
| Cause | How to recognise it | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Coating on the tongue | A white or yellowish layer on the back of the tongue | A tongue scraper every morning |
| Tartar and gum inflammation | Gums bleed on brushing, red at the teeth | Professional hygiene, then floss every evening |
| Decay, a loose filling | Food catches in one place, sensitivity | Filling 90–130 EUR |
| Dry mouth | In the morning, after coffee, from some medicines | Water, sugar-free gum, ask your doctor about the medicines |
| A wisdom tooth partly under the gum | Smell from one side, the gum behind the last tooth hurts | Check-up, often extraction 150–200 EUR |
| Tonsil stones, sinuses, reflux | Teeth and gums healthy, the smell stays | Family doctor or ENT |
How to check yourself
You cannot smell your own breath; the receptors adapt. Lick the inside of your wrist, wait 10 seconds and smell it. Or run floss between the back teeth and smell the floss; that is what the gaps smell like. If there is a smell, the cause is in the mouth.
What to do in two weeks
- Floss or interdental brushes every evening, not "sometimes".
- A tongue scraper or the back of the brush in the morning, from the root of the tongue forward.
- Two minutes with fluoride toothpaste twice a day, a new brush every 3 months.
- Water through the day; coffee and smoking dry the mouth and make it worse.
- Mouthwash is an addition, not a substitute: it masks the smell for an hour and removes no cause. Alcohol-free.
If the smell is still there after two weeks, the cause is somewhere the brush cannot reach, and that is the point to see a hygienist or dentist.
What the dentist does
Professional hygiene (80–85 EUR) removes tartar above and below the gum line, where the bacteria have lived for years. For most patients that is enough, and the difference is noticeable the same evening. At a consultation (20–40 EUR) the dentist checks the fillings, looks for decay between the teeth on an X-ray (10–15 EUR) and examines the wisdom teeth. If the mouth is healthy and the smell remains, we will say so honestly and refer you to your family doctor.
Three questions people ask most
Does a special anti-odour toothpaste help? Only together with floss and tongue cleaning. Toothpaste does not reach the places where the smell is made.
Does smoker's breath go away after hygiene? Partly: tartar and plaque go, the tobacco smell stays as long as the smoking does.
My child's breath smells, what is it? Most often a blocked nose and mouth breathing, which dries the mouth, or decay in baby teeth. A check-up with the children's dentist at 40–55 EUR tells the two apart in one visit.
Booking
Laurus Dent plus, Spikeri, Riga, Monday to Friday 8:00–20:00. Call +371 67224064 or book online; we offer the nearest available time. More on tartar here; on hygiene on the service page.