Bad breath can be embarrassing. Not only is it potentially unpleasant for those around you, but it can even force you to reconsider talking to people and having an active social life. If you've ever watched people turn away when you talk or you’ve been offered a piece of gum or mint, you know the embarrassment of a stinky mouth.
What causes bad breath? It can come from a number of things, including the use of tobacco products. Here’s what you should know about popular tobacco products and their alternatives, along with how making different decisions could bring you relief from bad breath.
What is bad breath?
We all know it when we smell it. Bad breath, or halitosis, is a common cause of concern for people of all ages and lifestyles. You only have to look at your grocery store or convenience shop shelves to see the gums, sprays, and rinses designed to cure stinky breath. The sheer number of products tells you that it's a widespread problem for many.
Temporary causes
Some types of bad breath are very temporary, coming from something you recently consumed, like a piece of garlic bread or cup of coffee. Other causes are the result of illness or a temporary body condition that may clear up after the condition is treated. A recent cold or allergy attack could bring on this type of bad breath, for example.
Poor oral health
Poor oral hygiene is another cause of bad breath. Not brushing your teeth or failing to get dental care for a rotten tooth, for example, may cause the issues in your mouth to get worse over time.
Tobacco use
There’s one other thing that commonly causes bad breath: tobacco. Whether it’s cigarettes, pipe tobacco, cigars, or smokeless tobacco, this family of products is well-known to lead to a foul mouth odor that can be difficult to overcome.
How tobacco products cause bad breath
What’s the science behind why things like cigarettes and chewing tobacco cause a stinky mouth? It happens a few different ways.
Chewing tobacco dries out the mouth
Saliva is necessary to keep your mouth clean and moist (and prevent bad breath), so this dryness can become a problem over time. Plus, the small pieces of tobacco may stick in the mouth or gums, which can accumulate germs and debris. It’s a potential recipe for disaster.
Some smokeless tobacco products use sugar to make them tastier
For some people, the added sugars can cause plaque and tartar buildup, leading to bad breath. This is particularly true if you don't brush after every use.
Smoking creates an odorous smoke
The smoke created through smoking is itself a smelly endeavor. Even if you love the smell of smoke, others may not agree. A smoky mouth can start to smell worse and worse, eventually becoming very apparent to those around you.
Do you have bad breath?
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Bad breath isn’t something a lot of people know about. They may only become aware when someone else points it out, which can be a very embarrassing and socially limiting experience. After all, who wants to be known as the person with terrible breath?
You may think you are in the clear because you perform breath checks often and use mint-flavored tobacco products, but you may not be as fresh as you think you are. Chewing tobacco can lead to a loss of taste and smell. What you think is a clean mouth may actually be very offensive to someone else. You can’t really trust your perspective when it comes to your own tobacco breath.
How nicotine pouches differ
So, if your current tobacco habit isn’t doing you any favors breath-wise, what options are out there? Nicotine pouches are a favorite choice among adults who don’t like the issues that tobacco causes, including nasty breath. Nicotine pouches contain no tobacco, so you won’t have to worry about any of the tobacco side effects—including smoky breath.
As an additional perk, you can choose between flavorless pouches or flavored (as long as flavored pouches are legally available where you live). If you pick the flavored kind, you can look forward to a variety of tastes, including:
- Wintergreen, cool mint, spearmint, peppermint, menthol, and cinnamon
- Citrus, mango, apple, dragon fruit, and black cherry
- Honey lemon and coffee
Depending on how you want your breath to smell, you can pick the right pouch for the occasion. Some people alternate between pouch flavors for different times of the day or different events. For example, you may enjoy coffee when alone in the morning compared to using peppermint before going out on a date.
When flavor isn’t an option
Flavored nicotine pouches aren’t legal in all states. If you can’t legally buy flavored nicotine pouches or choose to avoid flavoring altogether, you can still enjoy the same smooth nicotine experience without any flavor at all.
Unflavored doesn’t mean you can’t still have fresh breath. You’re still avoiding the stinky tobacco smell, and you can always freshen up before that date with gum or another breath freshener. Plus, if you’re swapping chewing tobacco for an unflavored nicotine pouch, you’ll also have the benefit of not having to spit out stinky brown liquid and then find a place to dispose of it. Many people do not spit at all when using nicotine pouches.
Do nicotine pouches cure bad breath?
If you struggle with bad breath from a number of causes, switching from tobacco to nicotine pouches won’t solve all your issues. Failing to brush twice daily or insisting on anchovies before a date aren’t issues you can solve with a pouch. Generally, the pouches have advantages over their tobacco counterparts, and some even come in tasty, fresh flavors that can boost your breath in a pinch, much like gum.
It's well established that tobacco is a breath buster, leading to long-term oral hygiene issues that contribute to a stinker mouth. If you need another reason to make the switch from snuff to nicotine pouches, this may be the thing that convinces you. Add in the fact that you don't have to spit smelly brown juice into a cup while using them, and your friends and loved ones will probably appreciate the change, too.
It’s not just your mouth that smells when you use chewing tobacco or cigarettes, either. These products have a way of causing everything around you to become foul over time. Think about how smoke affects the smell of your clothes, car, or house. Even if you take good care of your oral health, your surroundings could be very off-putting to others.
The bottom line on bad breath
If you use tobacco products and don't think you suffer from bad breath, you may want to think again. It can be very difficult for those with offensive breath to be aware of the odor. If you've been told that you have a stinky mouth (how embarrassing!) or are worried about the possibility in the future, now may be a good time to cut the tobacco smell out of the equation entirely. The average nicotine pouch user enjoys the flexibility of choosing between products that support their lifestyle and a fresher mouth.
