Offended By Your Own Bad Breath When Wearing A Mask? Here are 5 Quick Fixes

Masks are very necessary for our fight against the coronavirus pandemic, but alas, they come with a whole set of problems, from acne to foggy glasses to breathing difficulties. One other problem that people are starting to notice? Their own bad breath. It's hard to ignore your own stinky breath when all that moisture is trapped over your nose by your face mask as you talk and breathe. But why does this happen? And more importantly, how do you get rid of the bad breath?

What causes bad breath when wearing a mask?

“The mask doesn’t make us have bad breath” says Mark S. Wolff, a dentist and dean of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine who has spent many years researching why our breath can sometimes turn stinky. “It makes us more conscious that we have bad breath.”

He explains in an interview with the South China Morning Post: “It’s as if we cupped our hands in front of our face to test our breath... but it’s there all the time.” 

Here’s some good news though. According to the US Academy of General Dentistry, up to 80 million people have bad breath, so you are definitely not suffering alone.

Our mouths are usually already filled with bacteria, left over from the food we eat, and hidden between our teeth, under our gums, at the back of our tongues and in our sinuses, according to Dr Wolff. There are also natural bacteria that live in our mouths. 

Speaking with CNA, Koh Chu Guan, a senior consultant with National Dental Centre Singapore’s Department of Restorative Dentistry shares that the moist air filled with bacteria is produced when we breathe, especially through our mouths, and it gets trapped in the fabric of masks. When it dries out, it potentially leaves an odour on the fabric. 

Certain types of fabric may trap less air if it is thin and porous, but it doesn’t mean that the wearer doesn’t have bad breath; they’ll just be less aware.

With that said, here are some ways to mitigate the odour.