The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in some requirements to wear face masks. “Mask mouth”—like “meth mouth”— is a term to describe the bad breath and possible gum and tooth decay as a result of mask wearing.
   
“Mask mouth-when your breath is so bad that you smell it off the reflection of your N-95 face mask” was posted on Twitter by Sam Sherwood on April 8, 2020. “Trouble with mask mouth? Tired of smelling your own breath? Try one of our mints! Fresh breath used to be for them, but now it’s just for you, so make it minty!” was posted on Twitter by Gold Bond on April 13, 2020.
 
“Tips from a dentist to combat ‘mask mouth’” by news anchor Bruce Hamilton aired on News4JAX (Jacksonville, FL) on July 28, 2020. The “mask mouth” term went viral in August 2020.
 
   
Wikipedia: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019, and was recognised as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020.
             
Twitter
Sam Sherwood
@SamSherwood_
Mask mouth-when your breath is so bad that you smell it off the reflection of your N-95 face mask
8:01 PM · Apr 8, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
Gold Bond
@GoldBondInc
Trouble with mask mouth? Tired of smelling your own breath? Try one of our mints! Fresh breath used to be for them, but now it’s just for you, so make it minty!
*FTMINTSMINI-FDP  
#mememonday #socialdistancing #maskmouth #promoproducts #promotionalproducts #promotionalitems
8:30 AM · Apr 13, 2020·AgoraPulse Manager
   
Twitter
Sweet Girl On Fire NO DM!
@kristenluvslife
I just saw a commercial on breath mints…have a mint, because mask mouth is real.
7:41 PM · Jun 26, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
Violet Blue
@Bunnylake1
Replying to @hschwab74
Yes….and the commercials for this is the “new normal” and the commercial for breath mints, for when have mask mouth…wtf….
2:48 PM · Jul 15, 2020·Twitter for Android
 
News4JAX (Jacksonville, FL)
Tips from a dentist to combat ‘mask mouth’
Breath not smelling so fresh? Be mindful of what you’re eating, drinking
Bruce Hamilton, The Morning Show anchor
Published: July 28, 2020, 2:20 pm
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Most of us have accepted the fact that some form of face coverings will be a part of our daily routine for the foreseeable future. But have you noticed your breath may not smell so fresh behind that mask?
 
Well, you’re not alone. “Mask mouth” is a real thing.
 
With people wearing masks to stop the spread of coronavirus, dentists are hearing about an uptick in bad breath. You brush, you floss, but sometimes, that’s just not enough. And even mouthwash may not do the trick.
   
Twitter     
Bruce Hamilton
@WJXTBruceH
Wearing a mask to stop the spread of coronavirus have you wondering about dealing with bad breath? It’s a real problem dentists call “Mask Mouth.” Here’s some advice as to how to best deal with the problem
How to fight mask mouth
VIDEO: Dentists are noticing more people complaining about bad breath because of masks.
news4jax.com
12:34 PM · Jul 28, 2020·Twitter Web App
 
Twitter
News4JAX
@wjxt4
MASK MOUTH | Yep, it’s a real thing. But we’ve got some good advice from a dentist for keeping your breath nice a fresh behind that mask Face with medical mask
Tips from a dentist to combat ‘mask mouth’
If you’ve noticed your breath may not smell so fresh behind your mask, you’re not alone. “Mask mouth” is a real thing.
news4jax.com
3:00 PM · Jul 28, 2020·SocialNewsDesk
 
Twitter
Alpha Dental Plans
@AlphaDentalPlan
Not happy with you “mask mouth”? Dentist offers some tips to keep your breath fresh while staying safe in a mask. #masks #maskmouth #halitosis
http://ow.ly/xxNy50ANgcx
Find a Dentist - AlphaDentalPlan.com
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alphadentalplan.com
2:05 PM · Jul 31, 2020·Hootsuite Inc.
 
New York (NY) Post
‘Mask mouth’ is a seriously stinky side effect of wearing masks
By Melkorka Licea August 5, 2020 | 4:15pm
(...) 
The new oral hygiene issue — caused by, you guessed it, wearing a mask all the time to prevent the spread of the coronavirus — is leading to all kinds of dental disasters like decaying teeth, receding gum lines and seriously sour breath.
 
“We’re seeing inflammation in people’s gums that have been healthy forever, and cavities in people who have never had them before,” says Dr. Rob Ramondi, a dentist and co-founder of One Manhattan Dental. “About 50% of our patients are being impacted by this, [so] we decided to name it ‘mask mouth’ — after ‘meth mouth.’ ”
   
Daily Mail (London, UK)
Dentists declare ‘mask mouth’ a new phenomenon as they see an explosion in patients suffering from tooth decay and gum disease after wearing face coverings
. Two top dentists in New York City say mask-wearing makes people breathe through their nose and subsequently causes their mouth to dry out
. This results in a decrease of saliva in the mouth, which works to neutralize acid and prevent tooth decay and gum disease
. ‘Gum disease will eventually lead to strokes and an increased risk of heart attacks,’ one dentist claims, saying the long-term effects can be serious
. Doctors have largely debunked other conspiracy theories about mask-wearing, including claims they trap the coronavirus and make infection more likely
By ANDREW COURT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 17:12 EDT, 7 August 2020 | UPDATED: 04:47 EDT, 10 August 2020
 
BPR (Business & Politics Review)
Dentist warns harmful ‘mask mouth’ is impacting 50% of patients due to prolonged use of masks
August 9, 2020 | Robert Jonathan
As if the debate over face mask-wearing amid COVID-19 isn’t contentious enough in some quarters, a dental practice is warning that keeping your mouth covered all or most of the time could allegedly lead to harmful hygiene issues such as gum recession (i.e., periodontal disease) and bad breath.
 
A Manhattan dentist calls this potential side effect “mask mouth” as a play on “meth mouth” that colloquially refers to the decay of teeth and gums among drug addicts.