Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/1tyhw4b/tifu_by_quitting_smoking/

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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/gilt3t on 2026-06-06 13:54:05+00:00.

For the past month and a half I have worked on quitting smoking. It has been a journey but something I never saw mentioned was the after affects. I know what you're thinking, "quitting smoking is wonderful!" and it truly is. However, I have been smoking since I was 12, I am now 31.

I'd always practiced what I thought was ok oral hygiene, I brushed twice a day and flossed once. I'd use mouthwash before going out in public or talking to people.

Well, quitting smoking returns both smell and taste. I was not ready for the horror that was the taste and smell of my own mouth. It was vile. No matter how much I brushed or flossed, my mouth still tastes and smelled bad.

Yesterday I crashed out and looked up how to, for lack of a better description, power wash my teeth. I saw mention of a water flosser and a sonicare toothbrush. It was about $50 total but I was so desperate for any relief. I got them a few hours after placing the order in the morning. The first clean removed so much plaque build up on the inside part of my teeth where my tongue is.

I have legitimately never felt my mouth as clean as it has been. It honestly has made me feel like a new person. The horrible smell and taste is completely gone. It is hands down the best purchase I have ever made in my entire life. I truly thought I was doing well enough, but this has shown me that I was doing no where near enough.

tldr: was a smoker for nearly 20 years, I couldn't taste/smell the horror that was my mouth until I quit smoking and realized my oral hygiene practices were not good. Water flosser and a sonicare toothbrush has saved my mouth and sanity.