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Why Do We Have Morning Breath?

Morning breath, halitosis, can be unpleasant and it probably isn't the way you want to greet your partner, or your day. But, everyone has morning breath to some degree. 

 

Why? When you sleep, your mouth dries out because your normal flow of saliva decreases. When your mouth dries out, odor-producing bacteria proliferate. 

If you snore or breathe through your mouth at night, you are more likely to have bad breath in the morning that those who don't. In both situations, your mouth is even more prone to drying out, setting the stage for bacteria to grow.

 

Other causes of bad breath:

 

- Medications: Some medications can cause your mouth to become dry overnight, worsening your halitosis. This is why older people, who are often on medications, frequently find their breath more unpleasant in the morning.

- Smoking: Smoking not only causes your saliva - your natural mouth rinse - to dry up, but also can raise the temperature of your mouth, making it a breeding ground for that dreaded bacteria that causes bad breath. 

- Allergies: The mucus that drips down the back of your throat becomes a food source for bacteria. Should your postnasal drop become infected, it can put more odor-causing bacteria in your mouth.

 

How to treat bad breath:

- Brush: Odor-causing bacteria accumulate between your teeth and on your tongue, so practicing good dental hygiene will do a lot to improve your morning breath. 

• When you brush your teeth, brush your tongue too. Another favorite repository for odor-causing bacteria is the back of your tongue. You will notice your breath is fresher in the morning if you brush your tongue before you go to bed.

• Brush for at least two minutes - not the 35 or 40 seconds that many people do.

• After you brush, go directly to bed. Do not eat or drink anything, so that you are not leaving  food in your mouth. 

- Floss: Click here for our blog post on how to properly floss your teeth. Brushing alone will not remove the food particles that can become stuck between your teeth and gums. It is just as important as brushing. Click here for our blog post on common flossing mistakes.

- Rinse: Mouthwash will get rid of the odor, but only temporarily. When you are buying mouthwash to kill the germs that can cause bad breath, look for one that has a seal of approval from the American Dental Association.

• A quick swish will not do it. If the direction say rinse for 30 seconds, then you must. The mouth rinse has to be in there long enough to kill the bacteria. You are not going to get the full effect if you rinse for 5 to 10 seconds 

http://www.everydayhealth.com/dental-health/why-do-we-have-morning-breath.aspx

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