You wake up even before the alarm goes off on a Guetta song. You give yourself a good stretch and break into the first yawn of the day. Then you notice that horrible bad taste in your mouth, amplified by a nasty morning breath.
You wake up even before the alarm goes off on a Guetta song. You give yourself a good stretch and break into the first yawn of the day. Then you notice that horrible bad taste in your mouth, amplified by a nasty morning breath.
A lot of people with bad breath (halitosis) are not aware that they have the condition. A perfect thumb rule is to maintain habits that best give you great oral advantage at all times.
But, it’s worse in the morning.
One obvious factor that leads to foul morning breath is drinking alcohol before going to bed. Another is going straight to sleep after eating, without brushing your teeth and cleaning your mouth.
Lesser saliva traffic.
Saliva is our resident mouth cleaner. There is decreased saliva flow when we sleep. This means reduced removal of bacteria and less oxygen circulation in the mouth. These are all green flags that practically give bad bacteria a ‘GO!’ sign to breed and multiply. Whenever our mouth is dry, the bacteria go on a field day and eat the proteins found in the surfaces of the tongue, teeth, gums and the mouth. When they’re all filled up and happy, they excrete their waste products (hence, the embarrassing awful smell) clinically known as Volatile Sulphur Compounds.
People who are on diet may also exhibit signs of bad breath. Infrequent eating means less chewing & less salivary flow.
The tongue retires.
Just like most muscles in the body, the tongue relaxes as we sleep. It rests and falls back to the throat. This allows for the bacteria in the throat mucus to migrate and colonize in the tongue. That’s why for most people, they see white to yellowish coatings on their tongues in the morning.
It’s the same old bad breath.
It’s just way more noticeable in the morning. Bad breath is caused and exacerbated by a lot of things. People who do not practice good oral hygiene and those who smoke are the easiest targets for halitosis. Those with gum diseases are consequently more prone to bad breath.
The food that we eat, like onions and garlic, may contribute to this condition. People who are on diet may also exhibit signs of bad breath. Infrequent eating means lesser chewing and lesser salivary flow.
Various medications may cause dry mouth (xerostomia). People on medications who suffer from dry mouth are sometimes prescribed artificial saliva, sugarless candies and chewing gums and are advised to increase fluid intakes.
Some underlying conditions such as diabetes, kidney or liver failure, cancers are also associated with halitosis.
Wake up with heavenly breath.
Make a habit of brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing and cleaning your tongue. Avoid alcoholic drinks and foods that may worsen the condition. Drink lots of water to keep your mouth clean and moist. Removable dentures and braces should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a day. Beat bad breath through regular dental visits and professional cleanings.
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