One of the most common times we might have bad breath is when we first wake up in the morning.
Your breath is a good indicator of your overall oral health. But even though you’re careful enough to take excellent care of your teeth, tongue, and gums, you can still have bad breath. One of the most common times we might have bad breath is when we first wake up in the morning.
Possible Causes
Something You Ate: Your bad breath could have been caused by something you ate for breakfast. Even if you brush your teeth before eating breakfast, you’ve gone eight hours without brushing – which is ample time for more bacteria to start growing in your mouth. They’ll feed on any bits of food they can find, such as shards from the popcorn you had at the movies last night. Avoid eating anything that is too heavily flavored before going to sleep; if it has garlic, onions, or is spicy, say no.
A Dry Mouth: If your mouth gets too dry, you won’t have enough saliva. Saliva will help clean your mouth out even when you’re not expecting it to, so do everything you can to encourage salivation. The thing is, your saliva will recede while you’re sleeping, which means it’s another contributing factor to why you wake up with unpleasant breath.
Not Brushing or Flossing: Be sure that you brush your teeth and then floss them every day. Otherwise, you run the risk of developing periodontal disease.
Medicine: Sometimes it might not even be a habit that’s to blame for your breath. Winter is a prime time to come down with the flu or to be sick in general. If you take medicine because you’re ill or to medicate another condition you have, then you should keep an eye out for both dry mouth and stinky breath because of the chemicals reacting with your body.
How to Stop It
Brushing: Pick up a brand new toothbrush, especially if your current one needs to be replaced. As we mentioned above, brushing your teeth can help.
Rinsing: We suggest a quick rinse with some water to help hydrate your mouth again, and in case that isn’t enough, be sure to use some mouthwash in the morning, too.
STOP BAD BREATH WITH ANNAPOLIS DENTAL CARE
Whether it’s regular check-up you need or a tooth extracted, Annapolis Dental Care has the expertise and compassion to work with you on improving your oral health. Your comfort and health are our top priorities, and so we go above and beyond to please our patients and to provide the highest quality care. To set up an appointment today, please give us a call at 410-571-5014 or visit us online. For more oral health tips for you and your family follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube!