Wearing a mask and noticing your own breath is unsettling. The NHS lists the common causes of bad breath as strong-smelling or spicy food and drink, problems with your teeth or gums such as gum disease or holes in your teeth, fasting or crash dieting, conditions like dry mouth, tonsillitis and acid reflux, and smoking. Its advice is specific: brush gently at least twice a day for 2 minutes, clean your tongue once a day, and clean between your teeth at least once a day. If it hasn’t gone after a few weeks, see a dentist. This sets out the NHS page “Bad breath”.
1. Brush twice a day for 2 minutes, clean your tongue daily, clean between teeth daily.
2. Don’t rinse with water straight after brushing, and don’t brush so hard you bleed. Cut down on smoking, alcohol and sugar.
3. No better after a few weeks, or painful, bleeding or swollen gums: see a dentist.
Why it happens — NHS
The NHS lists five kinds of cause: strong-smelling or spicy food and drink; problems with your teeth or gums, such as gum disease, holes in your teeth or an infection; fasting or crash dieting; conditions like dry mouth, tonsillitis and acid reflux; and smoking. Much of the list is about the mouth and teeth, so most of the advice below comes down to brushing and dental check-ups (our reading).
Acid reflux is covered in heartburn and acid reflux, and throats in sore throat.
Do and don’t — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| Do | Gently brush teeth and gums at least twice a day for 2 minutes | Same as the brushing post |
| Do | Use a fluoride toothpaste | — |
| Do | Gently clean your tongue once a day with a tongue scraper or cleaner | — |
| Do | Clean between your teeth with interdental brushes or floss at least once a day | — |
| Do | Get regular dental check-ups | — |
| Do | Keep dentures clean and remove them at night | — |
| Do | Sugar-free mints or gum after strong-smelling food and drink | Sugary ones clash with the sugar advice below |
| Do | Try an antibacterial mouthwash or toothpaste | — |
| Don’t | Smoke, or drink too much alcohol | — |
| Don’t | Rinse your mouth with water straight after brushing | Read as leaving the toothpaste on |
| Don’t | Have lots of sugary food and drinks | — |
| Don’t | Brush so hard your gums or tongue bleed | — |
The page doesn’t say why not to rinse straight after brushing, so the reason is marked as our reading. How to brush is in brushing for 2 minutes, sugar limits in free sugars, and alcohol in alcohol units.
When to see a dentist — NHS
| When | Where | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| Bad breath that hasn’t gone after a few weeks of self-care | Dentist | — |
| Painful, bleeding or swollen gums | Dentist | Gum disease is also on the causes list |
| Toothache or wobbly adult teeth | Dentist | Toothache |
| Problems with your dentures | Dentist | — |
The page we read has no separate GP list. Mouth ulcers are covered in mouth ulcers.
Checklist
- ☐ Brush at least twice a day for 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste
- ☐ Clean your tongue daily; clean between teeth at least daily
- ☐ Don’t rinse straight after brushing; don’t brush too hard
- ☐ Sugar-free gum or mints after strong-smelling food
- ☐ No better after a few weeks, or bleeding gums: dentist
Questions that remain
Is mouthwash enough?
The NHS says to try an antibacterial mouthwash, but the core of its list is brushing, tongue cleaning and cleaning between teeth. Mouthwash is one item among them.
Will drinking more water help?
The page we read doesn’t list drinking water as a step; it only lists dry mouth as one cause.
Sources
- NHS — Bad breath — source (page shows: reviewed 5 June 2025, next review 5 June 2028; checked 13 October 2026). 5 causes, 8 dos and 5 don’ts, 4 dentist reasons.
- Not read. Korean agency guidance on bad breath.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column.
Where else to check
- A dentist — gum and tooth checks.
Written on 13 October 2026. The content is from the NHS; the glosses are ours.