Are your favourite TikTok food trends ruining your breath? Dentists weigh in

IF YOU’VE spent more than five minutes on TikTok lately, you've probably seen FoodTok doing what it does best: pushing wild, colourful, “must-try” snacks into our feeds until we cave.

- VUYILE MADWANTS!

And listen, I love a fun experiment as much as the next person. But according to new insights from experts at Zental Dental, some of TikTok’s most viral food trends might be quietly wrecking your breath.

Yup. While we're here trying to live our best aesthetically pleasing lives, our mouths are fighting for survival.

And because bad breath isn’t just awkward, it’s tied to real oral health issues, it's worth slowing down and understanding why these trends are causing chaos, and what simple habits can help you outsmart them.

1. Cotton candy pickles: The sweet-savoury trend, with over 4 million views

TikTok has never met a fla-vour combo it didn’t try to mash together. Cotton candy pickles are exactly that: a pickle wrapped in spun sugar, dipped in garlic and vinegar solutions. Cute for content, not your breath.

Why dentists are worried: Experts explain that pickles, vinegar and garlic are packed with sulphur compounds, the same ones responsible for strong, lingering odours. Add cotton candy into the mix, and you've basically fed the bacteria in your mouth a three-course meal.

Sugar fuels them, and the result is an acidic, smelly environment that sticks around.

What they recommend: “The best solution is an antibacterial mouthwash. It neutralises the odour and helps prevent gum disease,’ the dental team advises.