What Causes “Morning Breath”?

Have you ever woken up and rolled over to give your sweetheart a smooch, only to be greeted with foul breath? Do you notice a strange taste in your own mouth first thing in the morning?

Many people call this phenomenon morning breath. Although halitosis, or bad breath, can occur at any time during the day, more people are susceptible to morning breath than to halitosis at other times throughout the day.

The best dentists know that morning breath is exacerbated by the lack of saliva production during sleep. When saliva is not present to clear away the oral bacteria that cause bad breath, those bacteria proliferate, ultimately resulting in morning breath. Oral bacteria produce stinky side effects as they feed on various particles in your mouth.

Low saliva levels are also less effective at breaking down food particles, so the oral bacteria have more bits of food at their disposal during the nighttime.

If you suffer from morning breath, don’t despair. Your dentist can make recommendations on steps that you can take to minimize the problem, even if it can’t be eliminated entirely.

First and foremost, brush and floss before you go to bed. That tactic will help you reduce the food particles available for the bacteria to gorge on. As always, good oral hygiene will help you maintain a healthy mouth.

Drinking water before going to sleep can also help. It won’t completely replace the missing saliva, but it can provide some additional hydration in the mouth.

Consuming alcohol or smoking cigarettes shortly before you go to sleep can cause additional problems, because both of those activities also contribute to dry mouth. If you’re trying to reduce your risk of morning breath, cut out these activities, too.

If you find that your morning breath persists throughout the day, you may need to address a different issue, such as decay or an infection. Schedule an appointment with the best dentists serving Southlake for an evaluation.