If you've ever woken up with bad breath in the morning, you're not alone. Morning breath is a complete normal situation that most of us experience at one point or another in our lives.
Morning breath, which is also called halitosis, typically originates from the food and drink you consume, when bits of food get stuck in your teeth.
The longer the food particles remain in your mouth, the more time bacteria have to grow, causing the foul-smelling breath. However, the good news is that it's preventable and can be treated easily.
Dr Khaled Kasem, chief orthodontist of orthodontic chain Impress, has five simple but useful tips for the prevention and treatment of morning breath.
How to prevent morning breath
Here are some simple tips to prevent morning breath.
Maintain a good oral routine
Sometimes morning breath is simply caused by poor oral hygiene. So, the best way to prevent bad breath is by making sure that your mouth is clean and healthy with a consistent oral routine.
Floss between your teeth to remove any food particles and brush your teeth for at least two minutes twice a day.
Make sure you're gentle brushing your gums, tongue and even the inside of your cheeks too, as bacteria can be present in these areas too.
A fluoride toothpaste and anti-bacterial mouthwash are additional steps to keep your morning breath at bay.
Keep hydrated
Sleeping for eight hours through the night can leave your mouth feeling dry when you wake up.
Saliva is responsible for removing any bacteria, which causes bad breath. However, when we sleep the production of saliva reduces.
This is why it's important to hydrate yourself before going to bed and as soon as you wake up. Drinking plenty of water will increase saliva production, which in turn removes any foul-smelling bacteria that has built up overnight.
Switch out strong-smelling foods with crunchy fruit and veg
If you love onions and garlics - which are strong-smelling - in the evenings, you're very likely to be plagued by bad breath.
Stick to a healthy, balanced diet consisting of fibre-rich crunchy foods like apples, which not only increase saliva production but also help cleanse your mouth of any additional food particles remaining between meals.
Apples also help remove plaque build-up and fight bacteria, which are commonly known to cause bad breath.
Eat oranges daily
Oranges are great for promoting dental hygiene because they contain vitamin C, which helps increase saliva production and prevent bad breath.
So, make vitamin C-rich foods like oranges a part of your five-a-day
Drink calcium-rich yogurt
Yogurts contain healthy bacteria called lactobacillus, which helps to balance out the bacteria in your gut. This, in addition to probiotics found in yogurts, help reduce bad breath.
However, be sure to opt for plain, calcium-rich, non-fat yogurt instead of flavoured yogurt. While tasty, flavoured yogurts are full of sugar and won't help with reducing your bad breath.
When to consult a dentist for bad breath
If you've tried all the remedies and still find yourself waking up with bad breath, it's best to consult a doctor or dentist, as it could be a sign of something more serious.
Health conditions like acid reflux is just one of the main other causes of bad breath, so if you're worried, it's always recommended that you seek advice from a dental or medical health professional.
