u/hihelloitsJ

Last night, I’ll admit it, I probably shouldn’t have, but I ate sun-dried tomatoes with garlic and salt. Today, I brushed my teeth very carefully, flossed (which was actually especially useful, considering how much I found on the floss), did a loooonng coconut oil mouth rinse, and also used a copper tongue scraper.

Even so, I still have this warm, stale feeling in my mouth that I absolutely hate. I also did the corner test, in case you’re familiar with it. Basically, you go to the corner of a wall and breathe or talk into it, so the air lingers there long enough for you to smell it.

Then I did another little test. I went to a hardware store and talked to the salesperson and I noticed that he actually took a step back while we were talking. That makes me think my intuition was right.

I’m honestly so tired of having to be careful about everything I eat. I just don’t understand how there seems to be no way to get rid of these smells once they’ve somehow gotten into my body. It’s honestly crazy.

NB : I’ve also noticed something about the way certain people smell, especially people who consume a lot of dairy. I’ve become pretty good at recognizing it because when I eat something like pancakes and then floss, I sometimes notice exactly that same smell on the floss — the distinctive smell of someone who drinks milk regularly or eats a lot of dairy. It’s surprisingly recognizable once you’ve noticed it.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice because this situation is really affecting me.

I have a very thorough oral hygiene routine. Every morning I brush my teeth carefully, use an electric toothbrush, clean my mouth thoroughly, use an oral irrigator, and rinse with mouthwash. The night before, I also rinsed with warm salt water.

This morning I had an omelet with cherry tomatoes and a Nespresso coffee. Later I ate a banana. Then I went to a restaurant for lunch.
While I was talking to someone, I suddenly turned my head and caught my own breath. It smelled extremely strong and chemical. I became very anxious.

The strange part is that I asked the person sitting across from me if they could smell anything, and they honestly said they couldn't smell anything at all.

For background, I sometimes get tonsil stones, although my tonsils looked clear today. If I gently touch one of my tonsils with a clean finger, I can sometimes smell an unpleasant odor on my finger afterward, even when I don't see any visible tonsil stones.

This problem is becoming almost daily. Sometimes I feel like I can smell my own breath, but other peuple tell me they don't notice anything. It's making me obsessive and anxious because I never know if my breath is actually bad or if I'm only perceiving it myself.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Could this be related to hidden tonsil stones or something else? I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences.