YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES… you wake up in the morning to a beautiful day. The sun’s shining bright, the birds are tweeting, and you happily lean over to your spouse to say good morning, and instead, you’re greeted by the terrible smell of morning breath. Or maybe you bump into some colleagues after work and suddenly you become conscious of that bad taste in your mouth. We’ve all been there right? Unfortunately, bouts of halitosis, or bad breath, are pretty much inevitable. Today we’re going to explain why that is, what causes that nasty smell and what you can do to keep bad breath in check!
It Starts With Bacteria
We’re not the only ones who need to eat and drink to stay alive, so do the bacteria living in our mouths. When they snack on whatever’s left behind from our last meal, they release foul-smelling odors as a by-product, causing bad breath.
What you can do: Clean your teeth after every meal! Brush, floss, and pop in a piece of sugar-free gum for good measure (make sure you avoid sugar-free gums with cancer-causing agents). This will eliminate food debris and bacteria from your mouth and prevent bad breath. A clean mouth is a fresh mouth!
Choose Breath-Friendly Foods And Beverages
Keep in mind that certain foods and beverages can increase the likelihood of bad breath, such as sugary foods and drinks, garlic, onions, coffee, and alcohol.
What you can do: Choose breath-friendly foods and beverages! Water washes away food debris and increases saliva flow in your mouth, protecting your teeth and mouth from bacteria. Healthy food choices such as carrots, celery, and apples are high in water content and actually work as a natural toothbrush, scrubbing plaque bacteria from the surfaces of your teeth.
Good Oral Hygiene Can Reduce Morning Breath
Morning breath seems to be an especially pungent offender. Why is this? It’s mainly because of dry mouth. During the day, saliva works to wash away food debris and keep bacteria in check. When we sleep at night, however, our saliva production goes down, causing our mouths to become dry and allowing bacteria to proliferate. If you sleep with your mouth open, it can be even worse.
What you can do: To make your morning breath less offensive, follow a good oral hygiene regimen. By brushing and flossing your teeth before bed, you’re giving bacteria less food to munch on, which will help your breath be better in the morning.
In addition, we highly recommend cleaning your tongue by either brushing it or using a tongue scraper, since this is where most bad breath-causing bacteria are found. Another tip is to keep water by your bedside. When you wake up at night, take a drink! Keeping your mouth moist will combat the spread of those smelly bacteria.
We’re Here For You
For the most part, bad breath is manageable. If you feel like your halitosis is severe, however, especially if you follow the steps above, it can be a sign of something more serious such as gum disease, diabetes, sinus problems, gastric reflux or liver or kidney disease. If this is the case, come in to see us so we can address the issue and find the proper solution. We are here to serve you!
