We've all been there, you open up your mouth to say something and a foul odor is emitted. Hoping that no one else can smell it, we pop in a piece of gum or a breath mint. While this may help to mask the odor for a second or two, dealing with dragon breath is no picnic. When we are sick, having bad breath is understandable because the nasal cavities are often infected, causing drainage to go down the throat, which leads to bad breath. What about in the morning? Having bad breath isn't exactly the best way to wake up your partner in the morning.

Are you worried that your breath smells like moth balls? If you are, here are some tips that can help you identify if you have bad breath:

• Ask a close friend or relative. If they really love you, they will give you an honest opinion.
  
• Do you have a gum disease like gingivitis or do your gums bleed when you brush them? This is a sign that you also have bad breath accompanying your oral health issues.
  
• Lick your hand and smell the saliva. While this isn't the best way to tell, you will be able to smell something foul or something sweet.
  
• Cup your hands over your nose and mouth and breathe into them. Smell the air to see if you have bad breath. This isn't the best method to test your smelly breath because your sense of smell is already used to your dragon breath so it may be hard for you to detect it.
  
• Do you talk a lot? If you do, you probably have dry mouth, which normally means your breath stinks. Keep drinking water to get the saliva moving and chew gum to keep saliva in the mouth.
  
• If you smoke, your breath stinks. It's a fact. Smoker's breath is just plain awful so start chewing gum and brushing your teeth to get rid of the smell.
  

Bad breath can be caused from a number of things. The types of foods we consume have a lot to do with our breath. For example, eating a cheeseburger with onions on it will give you bad breath. Anything with garlic automatically means you will have bad breath after it's absorbed into the bloodstream. If you want to control your breath, quit eating the food that are causing it to stink.

Always brush your teeth, gums, and tongue daily. It's also important to floss daily and remove the food that is stuck in between the teeth. Keeping your mouth as clean as possible will help to limit your bad breath as this removes dead cells and food debris that clinging to the teeth and gums. Practicing good oral health is the best way to get rid of the smell and keep your breath smelling fresh. Be sure to drink water to keep the saliva moving.

Sometimes bad breath will go away after you eat. Even eating a mint or candy will help to get rid of the bad breath smell. Be careful about what foods you select to cover up your bad breath. Not all of them are winners. Coffee often makes the breath smell worse. If you drink coffee, rinse your mouth out with water afterwards. Suck on a lemon to bring saliva to your mouth quickly and reduce your bad breath smell.

If you don't like mints and gum, try some other remedies to reduce your bad breath. Chewing on parsley is a great way to reduce bad breath. It also helps to use mouthwash to kill the bacteria that is growing in the mouth, especially on the tongue.