Mondelez Halls Breathe Through It / Apr 2025 / In-Image Branding

Expert Tips for Curbing Bad Breath

Garlic and onions are two of my favorite foods — I have been known to eat roasted garlic cloves like candy — so it’s no surprise that I often find myself surreptitiously smelling my breath and wincing. Studies on the prevalence of bad breath are hard to come by, but research has estimated that up to half of all Americans have been concerned by the smell of their breath over the course of their lives. (The other half clearly lack self-awareness.)

The bad news is that smelly breath can have many causes, some more serious than others. The good news is that there are a handful of ways to address it, depending on the underlying cause. I spoke to two restorative dentists who have studied bad breath; an ear, nose and throat doctor; and a periodontist to get their suggestions.

Determine if your breath is that bad.

One key problem with bad breath is that you can’t always tell when you have it, even though everyone around you probably can.

Odor-causing bacteria don’t just grow around the teeth and gums — they can also grow in little crevices on your tongue. If your tongue has a white or yellowish tinge to it, it likely harbors stinky bacteria, Dr. Moretti said. You may want to brush your tongue gently with your toothbrush or a tongue scraper after you brush your teeth to remove them, he suggested. Research has shown that tongue brushing plus regular brushing improves bad breath more than just tooth-brushing alone.

Tonsils are another little-known cause of bad breath, Dr. Duyka told me. Tonsils have crevices that harbor bacteria. Sometimes, the bacteria can mix with food debris and harden and become what are called tonsil stones, which look like little white bumps. You can’t prevent tonsil stones, Dr. Duyka said, but you can eliminate them by gently poking your tonsil with a blunt object or (clean) finger; by gargling with salt water; or by rinsing them with a water flosser.

In rare cases, bad breath can be caused by other kinds of illnesses or infections — tonsillitis, sinus or lung infections, liver cirrhosis, kidney diseases, pharyngitis or even mouth or neck cancer, Dr. Moretti said. If your bad breath doesn’t improve with other remedies, consider seeing your primary care physician or an ear, nose and throat doctor to rule out other causes, Dr. Duyka suggested.

I had no idea that bad breath was such a complex phenomenon. I may not be willing to give up garlic — apologies to my husband — but I’ll try to stay hydrated and, perhaps, invest in a tongue scraper to keep my mouth bacteria under control. Although bad breath can be unpleasant for those on the receiving end, remember that it’s common and it’s not the end of the world.