Do you wake up in the morning and roll out of bed just to realise your breath smells bad? The next thing you know, you are making a dash to the bathroom to brush your teeth, wondering, “why do I have morning breath?”
Here’s the thing – morning breath is normal. But if we’re being real, it can be embarrassing. Nobody wants their breath to smell bad, no matter the time of day.
So, how can you get rid of morning breath (because that’s a question we all want answered, right?) Let’s dive right in.
What is Morning Breath?
Morning breath, also known as morning halitosis, is a form of bad breath noticeable after a good night’s sleep.
When you are asleep, the natural microorganisms (bacteria) in your mouth are at work. What do they do? They break down leftover food particles, cells, saliva and blood. When this happens, they release foul-smelling sulfur compounds and other byproducts.
Now, you might be thinking – “what can I even do about it since all of this happens when I’m asleep?” While you can’t manage what happens inside of your mouth while you are asleep, your hands aren’t completely tied either.
But before we look at solutions, let’s take a look at the causes of bad breath in the morning.
What Causes Bad Breath in the Morning?
Dry Mouth
One of the main reasons for morning breath is saliva – or rather, the lack of saliva.
During the day, saliva production occurs as usual in your mouth (unless you have a dry mouth condition), washing away bad breath-causing particles. However, when you’re sleeping, saliva production also takes a little nap of its own.
So there’s less saliva and more dryness. When your mouth is dry, bacteria can easily build up in your mouth and make your breath smell bad.
Sleeping with Mouth Open
If you are a mouth breather (that is, someone who sleeps with their mouth open), you are in for some bad news. Breathing through your mouth cranks up dryness a notch, increasing morning breath.
Poor Oral Hygiene
Neglecting proper dental hygiene can also cause bad breath in the morning, especially if you don’t brush your teeth before bed. As a result, there will be leftover food particles in your mouth and the bacteria in your mouth will break them down, releasing unpleasant-smelling chemicals.
Strong-Flavoured Foods
Garlic and onions are loved by many. However, they can also cause bad breath due to the sulphur compounds packed in these foods. They then leave a distinct odour in your mouth, lingering on your breath. But that’s not all. They can also enter your bloodstream and your lungs, eventually getting released through your breath.
Tobacco
If you smoke tobacco, we’ve got more bad news for you! Smoking tobacco can reduce your saliva flow and dry your mouth, encouraging bacterial overgrowth. It can also increase tartar buildup, increasing the risk of bad breath from plaque buildup.
Medications
Certain medications can dry out your mouth, increasing bacteria levels in your mouth and making your bad breath smell bad.
Now, let’s get to the good part – since you know the why, let’s talk about – solutions for morning breath!
Solutions for Morning Breath
We get it – if you wake up with bad breath in the morning, the only thing you’d want to do is to get rid of it as soon as possible.
The good news – morning breath is easily treatable – and brushing, flossing and rinsing your mouth with mouthwash should generally do the trick. But, if you want to learn about how to prevent morning breath before it even has the chance to ruin your day, here are some things you can do.
Clean Your Tongue
While brushing your teeth in the morning and night is great, some of us tend to forget or ignore cleaning the tongue. Now, this is a grave mistake because your tongue harbours large amounts of odour-causing bacteria. So, make sure to clean your tongue while brushing or better yet use a tongue scraper!
Stay Hydrated
Hydration isn’t just good for your body, it’s also key to avoiding a dry mouth. And what better way to stay hydrated than with water? Drinking water will flush out bacteria in your mouth and boost saliva production, helping keep your mouth fresh and moist. Oh, and try to stick to water because other drinks like soda, juice or alcohol won’t do the job.
Watch What You Eat
Make sure to avoid foods with strong odour like garlic or onions. Plus, if you are craving a snack, opt for crunchy fruits or veggies like apples and carrots because they help with saliva production.
Chewing on sugar-free gum is another great way to boost saliva production.
Avoid Tobacco
Quitting tobacco won’t just improve bad breath and oral hygiene. It will also improve your overall health in many ways!
Schedule a Consultation
If you are still struggling with bad breath in the morning (even after trying all of these), it’s time to see our dentist at Ashgrove Dental. We will thoroughly assess your mouth and do a professional cleaning or recommend suitable treatments tailored to your needs.
Morning breath isn’t exactly fun – not for you and definitely not for the people around you, whether it’s your partner, roommate or family. But the good news is that a few simple tweaks to your oral care routine and some lifestyle changes can make a world of difference.
If you want to wake up without morning breath, it’s time to put these tips into action. Want to learn more about how to curb bad breath? Speak to our friendly team today!
