If you do the old breathe-into-your-cupped hand trick to verify your breath is passable before a big date or meeting, brace yourself for some bad news. The BBC reports it doesn't really work. That's because the huff doesn't push out the breath that occupies the back of your mouth (which is released when you speak). And that's the very area where bad breath (or halitosis) is often generated, thanks to the volatile sulfur compounds that are produced when food and bacteria become trapped there. You could, however, try one of the methods doctors have available to them: smell a spoon that you've scraped across your tongue, or unwaxed floss that you've worked through your back teeth. Read on for 7 myths and tips about bad breath.