“Everyone has morning breath to some degree,” says Sally J. Cram, DDS, a periodontist in the Washington, D.C., area and a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. Here's the simple reason why: When you sleep, your mouth dries out. When your mouth dries out, odor-producing bacteria proliferate.
Your dentist will tell you that everyone has some degree of morning breath. The reason, when you are asleep, your mouth begins to dry out. As it dries, odor-causing bacteria begin to form. Saliva also decreases when you sleep causing your breath to be at its worst upon rising.
STAY HYDRATED
Drink plenty of water. Water helps flush your system, increase saliva production, reduce bacteria and can help prevent morning breath. And remember: only water is water. That doesn't include flavored beverages like coffee, tea, soda, juice, or alcohol.
So, don't fret. Funky morning breath is normal. And it's different than halitosis, which is a chronic bad-breath condition that you cannot remedy with a good brushing and mouthwash.
Brushing your teeth properly for two minutes and flossing before bed will help — and there is no reason why you can't both pop to the bathroom and brush your teeth in the morning, then dash back to bed. However, the simplest way to get rid of funky morning breath is to keep a glass of water next to your bed.
Need to check how your breath smells quickly? Try the sniff test—there are a couple of ways to do it. If you lick your wrist, let it dry for a moment, then take a whiff, you should be able to get an idea if your breath has an odor too. Another method is to floss toward the back of your mouth, then smell the floss.
If your partner isn't as diligent as he or she should be with brushing and flossing before bed and in the morning, the mouth can become a fertile growing field for bacteria. Additional causes of halitosis include: Smoking and chewing tobacco. Medications that dry out the mouth.
Reasons your breath smells even after brushing
“Poor oral hygiene and gum disease is a main culprit, tooth decay is another. But, the source of the bad smell is down to the bacteria living in our mouths.”
You can reduce the effects of morning breath by practicing good oral hygiene, especially before bed. Brushing and flossing helps get rid of pockets of food that can harbor bacteria. You can also clean your tongue to remove large amounts of bacteria that have gathered to give you morning breath during the night.
One way is to lick your wrist, let it dry for a second, and sniff it - you would know if your breath stinks. Another way is to take a floss or tongue scraper and gently move it towards the back of your mouth or tongue and then smell it. This should also give you a fair assessment whether your breath smells bad.
Martha Dawson, D.D.S, “poor brushing and flossing are probably the primary reason, but dry mouth, gum disease, and illness—like a sinus infection or post nasal drip—can also cause some funky breath.” If you've been frustrated that the mints and gum aren't working, you shouldn't be surprised: “Mints and gum will ...
Morning breath is the term that people commonly use to describe breath that smells bad when a person wakes up. It is a very common problem. The Academy of General Dentistry have estimated that 80 million people in the United States experience chronic bad breath.
Everyone gets bad breath from time to time — especially after eating garlic, onions or other strong foods. But bad breath that doesn't go away (chronic halitosis) could mean you have an oral health issue or a condition that's affecting another part of your body. Halitosis is a symptom of many different conditions.
The most common reason the air in your bedroom smells bad in the morning is a lack of fresh air ventilation overnight. Our bodies go through multiple processes overnight where we regulate our temperature and digest food from across the day. This causes our bodies to release odours from sweat and flatulence.
The major problem with having breath that physically repels others is that – in most cases – you can't actually smell the rancid fumes you're inadvertantly wafting into the room.
People who mouth-breathe while they sleep are at higher risk of experiencing halitosis and may have a difficult time addressing the problem, despite proper brushing and flossing.
New research suggests that drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning is an effective way of reducing morning breath.
Bad Breath and Relationships. Bad breath and relationships are similar to oil and water: they don't mix. Halitosis can put a severe strain on all types of relationships, be it social, personal or intimate. And bad breath can be a key factor when beginning a new relationship or keeping one going.
Getting older also makes us more likely to have dry mouths, which can contribute to bad breath. Decreased saliva production allows food particles, debris, and bacteria to linger around the teeth and gums and produce a noticeable odor.
You could simply tell them that their breath is smelly, directly but politely. Bring up this sensitive topic with compassion and care, especially if it is someone close to you or you're worried about making them upset.
Sometimes people think they have bad breath, even when their breath is objectively fine. This is called "pseudo-halitosis." Halitophobia, or fear of bad breath, is real and may persist despite reassurance from a doctor.
Your body odor can change due to hormones, the food you eat, infection, medications or underlying conditions like diabetes. Prescription-strength antiperspirants or medications may help.
Chewing sugarless gum or eating hard fruit like an apple helps to stimulate saliva and eliminate bad breath, but there's nothing better for your breath than drinking water as regularly as possible!