Have you noticed that your breath smells bad in the mornings? Do you suffer from frequent bouts of bad breath, also known as Halitosis? If so, Dr. Cappy Sinclair and Dr. Mark Reichley can offer guidance on how to improve your breath as well as when to see a dentist about your bad breath. Learn more about the causes of bad breath, as well as tips to prevent bad breath, below.
Morning Breath
Morning breath is a common concern that many patients will experience at some point in their lives. Caused by dry mouth, bad breath occurs because your saliva production slows down while you sleep. Dry mouth allows odor-causing bacteria to remain on your dental structures longer than usual, leading to an unpleasant taste in your mouth when you wake up in the mornings.
Saliva is essential to your mouth’s overall health, helping you break down foods for easier swallowing and digestion. Additionally, saliva helps you speak, keeping your tongue, cheeks, teeth moist enough to move around and produce sounds. Because you are not doing these activities when you are asleep, saliva production slows down, causing dry mouth.
To reduce your risk of morning breath, make sure that you are drinking plenty of water before bed to keep your mouth moist as you sleep. Additionally, brush and floss before bed to reduce the number of bacteria and food particles on your dental structures. Tongue-scrappers and mouthwash can also help freshen your breath before bed. When you wake up, you should immediately rinse your mouth out with water and brush your teeth to get rid of your morning breath.
Bad Breath (Halitosis)
Bad breath throughout the day can be avoided by making improvements to your at-home oral hygiene routine. Brush and floss your teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. After midday meals and snacks, rinse your mouth out with water to moisturize your dental structures. Additionally, consider chewing sugar-free gum to dislodge extra food particles stuck between your teeth. This should help you reduce the occurrence of bad breath throughout the day.
Persistent bad breath may be a sign of underlying dental concerns like advanced gum disease or tooth decay. Dental concerns caused by an increased presence of bacteria on your teeth are more likely to cause bad breath. If you notice a bad taste in your mouth that does not go away after improving your oral hygiene routine, you should contact your dentist for an exam.
At Coastal Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry, we offer a wide range of dental services in Virginia Beach, VA. There is rarely a dental concern that we cannot treat in our Virginia Beach dentist offices. If you suffer from frequent bouts of bad breath, schedule an appointment with Dr. Sinclair or Dr. Reichley to discuss your treatment options. We look forward to seeing you soon.