Embarrassing Symptoms

Bad Breath

There's nothing like dragon breath to scare off a first date. Ninety percent of the time, the culprit is thriving right on the surface of your tongue, says Richard Price, DDS, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association. "The dirtier your mouth, the more places there are for bacteria to hide," he says.

But having a clean mouth doesn't necessarily preclude you from bad breath. "Even in the healthiest of mouths, you can still suffer from it," Price tells WebMD. The combination of lingering bacteria on the tongue, when "caught" in the sticky mucus we produce—up to two quarts per day—is prime fodder for bad breath. "The bacteria get covered with mucus, expelling by-products when you breathe," Price explains.

So how do you fight bad breath? "You've got to physically remove the offending organism," Price says.

One effective, low-tech way is to scrape the mouth with a toothbrush or tongue scraper, a piece of metal that Price likens to an Emory board. "In some countries, tongue scraping is considered part of everyday hygiene," Price tells WebMD.

He also recommends using toothpaste that contains an antibacterial agent, such as chlorine dioxide.

Flossing regularly to remove old food lodged between teeth is another must. It doesn't smell good in the Dumpster, nor does it smell good in your mouth.

Maintaining an adequate amount of moisture in the mouth also helps. Price suggests using a humidifier in the winter, drinking adequate amounts of water throughout the day, or munching on an apple, a solution he calls "better than a Bianca blast." The less moisture in the mouth, Price explains, the more bad-smelling vapors the bacteria release into the mouth.

Also, consider what you put in your mouth. "If it smells going in, it's probably going to smell going out," Price says. Prime offenders include garlic, tobacco and onions.