Why Do We Have Bad Breath in the Morning?

Does this sound familiar? You wake up in the morning and quickly cover your mouth with your hand so your partner doesn’t get a whiff of your bad breath. Morning breath, halitosis — whatever you call it, it can be unpleasant and it probably isn’t the way you want to greet your partner, or the day.

“Everyone has morning breath to some degree,” says Sally J. Cram, DDS, a periodontist in the Washington, D.C., area and a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. Here’s the simple reason why: When you sleep, your mouth dries out. When your mouth dries out, odor-producing bacteria proliferate. “When you sleep, your normal flow of saliva decreases,” Dr. Cram explains. “That’s why your breath can be worse in the morning.”

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

Other Causes of Bad Breath

Some medications can cause your mouth to become dry overnight, worsening your halitosis. That’s why older people, who are often on many medications, frequently find their breath more unpleasant in the morning.

Smokers also may find they have bad morning breath. 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. Add this to your list of reasons to quit smoking.

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

How to Treat Bad Breath

If you’re one of the 65 percent of Americans with halitosis, there’s good news: Bad breath is treatable.

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, be sure to do so for at least two minutes, not the 35 or 40 seconds that many people do.

After you brush, go directly to bed! “Don’t eat or drink anything so you’re not leaving food in your mouth,” Cram says.

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

“Eighty-five percent of bad breath comes from the tongue,” says New York dentist Irwin Smigel, DDS, the president and founder of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics. “It really helps tremendously to use a tongue cleanser before you go to sleep, or anytime during the day.”

Floss. Brushing alone won’t remove the food particles that can become stuck between your teeth and gums. “Flossing is as important as brushing,” says Kimberly Harms, DDS, a dentist in Farmington, Minn., and a spokeswoman for the American Dental Association.

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

A quick swish won’t do it. If the directions say rinse for 30 seconds, then rinse for 30 seconds. “The mouth rinse has to be in there long enough to kill the bacteria,” Dr. Harms advises. “Rinse for five to ten seconds, you’re not getting the full effect. The trick is you have to follow directions.”

Do you have a health head-scratcher? Submit it here, and we may answer your question in a future column!

Here’s Why You Wake Up with Morning Breath: Rifkin Dental: Dentists

We’ve all been there: You wake up in the morning, roll over to kiss your partner, and they lovingly request that you go brush your teeth instead.

It’s the dreaded affliction of morning breath, which is incredibly common—and incredibly annoying. If you’ve ever wondered why you wake up with breath that smells like it could be hauled away on a dump truck, here are six of the most common explanations for arising with stinky breath.

Your mouth produces less saliva when you sleep.

While other factors can contribute to morning breath, this is the crux of the matter—and it explains why no amount of brushing or flossing is guaranteed to prevent morning breath. During the day, our mouths produce plenty of saliva to help wash away the naturally occurring bacteria in our mouths. But when we fall asleep, our bodies slow down saliva production, which creates an environment in which stink-inducing bacteria can proliferate. These bacteria essentially get free roam of your mouth until you wake up and get them in check with your toothbrush.

You’re prone to dry mouth.

If you’re already prone to dry mouth in your waking hours (whether because of medications or simple physiology), then your mouth is likely to get extra dry while you sleep. That’s because your body is already producing less saliva during the day, and that amount of saliva goes down even further at night. This creates an even more hospitable environment for odor-causing bacteria and may increase the pungency of your morning breath.

You snore and/or breathe through your mouth when you sleep.

Regardless of whether you experience dry mouth during the day, snoring and/or mouth breathing can seriously dry out your mouth in your sleep. This results in the same conditions of dry mouth described above: Because your mouth is producing less saliva, bacteria stick around in your mouth unchecked, where they get to work creating odors.  

You’re a smoker.

Smoking tobacco can contribute to morning breath in a number of ways. For starters, it causes your saliva to dry up, which leads to all of the consequences of dry mouth described above. Secondly, it can increase the temperature in your mouth, which makes an even more fertile environment for stinky bacteria. Finally, smoking cigarettes increases the risk of gum disease, which is another big contributor to bad breath.

Your skipped brushing and flossing the night before.

When you skip brushing or flossing, you allow food particles and bacteria to stick around in your mouth. This means that when your saliva production slows down, there will be even more bacteria just waiting to create all kinds of foul odors in your mouth. Regularly neglecting your oral care routine can also lead to gum disease, which (once again) is a major contributor to bad breath.

You have allergies or a cold.

When your head is full of mucus—whether because of allergies or sickness—that mucus will find its way into the back of your throat while you sleep. Once there (brace yourself for the grossness!) the mucus provides a food source for the bacteria in your mouth and throat. This creates a rich environment for these bacteria, which produce stinky odors while feasting on said mucus.

Because there’s nothing you can do about your body’s reduced saliva production during the night, it may not be possible to stop morning breath in its tracks (although proper oral health care can certainly help). But hopefully you can take some comfort in knowing that you’re not alone in suffering from morning breath. In fact, you’re in the good, stinky-breathed company of millions of people waking up all over the world.  

​How To Beat Morning Breath

You roll over and whisper, “Good morning.” She recoils from the gust of rancid breath you’ve just unleashed across the pillow. Nothing ruins a sleepover like morning breath. And the problem is: Where does it come from? You brushed your teeth last night. You don’t have a gastric disease. Why does your breath smell like a tin of mackerel left open on a hot subway?

Read on for the six things you need to do to stop morning, and the fastest way to fix it.

Triage the night before.

Sure, you ran a toothbrush around your mouth for two seconds. But any single morsel of food left behind becomes bait for bacteria.

“Bacteria eat food particles left behind,” says NYC-based cosmetic dentist Dr. Brian Kantor of Lowenberg, Lituchy & Kantor, “and fuel bad breath by releasing volatile sulfur compounds through anaerobic respiration. “

Translation: bacteria eat your leftovers and belch out the rotten-egg stench you wake up to.

So if you’ve got an important morning ahead, be thorough: floss, brush and use an antiseptic rinse. Leave no crumb behind.

Stop your mouth breathing.

The most critical thing to know about morning breath: saliva is your friend.

“Saliva is high oxygen, which kills bacteria,” says Kantor. “It breaks down food particles and debris, and removes them from your mouth when you swallow.”

Trouble is, saliva production decreases while you sleep. And if you’re breathing through your mouth, you’re creating a dry zone where bacteria thrive.

The fix could be as simple as turning onto your side or stomach. Or maybe you need a decongestant. However you fix it, a closed mouth will be less sour the next morning.

Avoid alcohol.

If a dry mouth is bad, then mouthwash is your friend. But not the kind that can accidentally set you back.

“Moisten your mouth,” says Kantor. “Use a lot of water. And use a non-alcoholic mouthwash the night before because alcohol will dry out your mouth—and that’s the last thing you want.”

Look for the alcohol-free version of whatever mouthwash you use. And, while we’re at it, don’t try to cure your morning breath by rinsing with vodka, either.

Cut the acid.

Besides loving a dry mouth, bacteria enjoy an acidic place to feed and multiply.

“Bacteria are more likely to collect in acidic environments,” says Kantor. “So what you can do is gargle with baking soda, because it’s a base.”

You’ll find baking soda in many dental products, and all of them cut the acid and help stamp out the stench.

Brush your tongue.

You’re flossing, you’re brushing, but you’re still waking up smelling like a bull mastiff. Turn your attention to your tongue.

“The tongue has a lot of surfaces where food particles can get lodged,” says Kantor,” so you want to use a tongue scraper and really keep your tongue clean. “

Also, in the morning, taking your toothbrush to your tongue is a fast way to remedy whatever damage the night has done, or at least spread the minty smell of toothpaste around.

Start salivating.

Finally, when you’ve made it to daylight and you really want to kick that morning breath, hit it with the one-two punch: brushing, then brunch.

Brushing, flossing and rinsing clears out the root causes of your oral odor. Eating something starts your saliva flowing. Think of it like turning on the faucet to rinse out the drain.

“Every time you eat, you increase saliva,” says Kantor. “Crunchy fruits and vegetables are the best. They stimulate saliva flow and they mechanically clean teeth and remove surface stains.”

Translation: an apple a day might not keep the doctor away, but one in the morning could get you invited back for another sleepover.

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Understanding the Causes of Morning Breath

The anxiety you experience due to morning breath can cause you to quickly mumble your goodbyes to family on the way to work, and keep a bottle of mouthwash stashed in the glove compartment. By now, you’re convinced that no matter how often your brush, floss or guzzle mouthwash, the lingering odors from the night before will continue to overwhelm your breath well after you wake up.

While you might think this problem is a burden you carry alone, getting out of bed with bad breath, clinically referred to as halitosis, is actually fairly common, and is just part of the cycle of rest and digest our mouths go through overnight. Fortunately, your Eugene, OR dentist wants you to know that morning breath isn’t some unstoppable force destined to ruin your day. In fact, you can take a few steps that will help to keep your breath from smelling less than its best.

Here’s what you need to know to help prevent morning breath.

Saliva and Morning Breath

Around 80 million American suffer from persistent bad breath, according to the Academy of General Dentistry, while millions more suffer from occasional bad breath in the mornings or shortly after eating pickled onions and liverwurst for lunch. People who suffer from dry mouth, a common side effect of many prescribed medications, and those who tend to breathe through their mouths are more prone to experience morning breath. Individuals who practice poor oral hygiene will also suffer from bad breath when compared to those who brush and floss at least twice daily.

Early morning bad breath is largely the product of low saliva production. During your waking hours, the body produces far more saliva than while you’re asleep. A continuous flow of saliva allows the mouth to wash away foul-smelling bacteria and lingering food particles that help sour your breath. Low saliva flow allows these substances to remain in your mouth and sour your breath.

The Foul Smell of Morning Breath

Since saliva flows plays such a critical role in preventing dry mouth, it’s no surprise that a decrease of saliva increases the likelihood of dry mouth. This enables bacteria to thrive and produce volatile sulfur compounds that smell bad. Oral bacteria also feeds on the amino acids, proteins, compounds, and leftover foods that remain in the mouth between teeth and along the gum line to produce even more volatile sulfur compounds, which only makes your breath smell worse.

How You Sleep and Morning Breath

The way you sleep can also impact the frequency and intensity of morning breath. Breathing through the mouth or snoring at night increases the likelihood of bad breath. Since most “mouth breathers” sleep with their mouths open, the constant airflow can cause their mouths to dry out and allow bad breath causing bacteria to flourish. Ultimately, anytime you reduce saliva flow in the mouth, you increase the risk of morning breath.

Preventing Morning Breath

Unfortunately, there’s very little you can do in order to completely prevent morning breath. However, by practicing quality oral hygiene throughout the day, especially prior to bedtime, you can help to reduce the amount of bacteria and lingering food particles that remain in your mouth overnight. The fewer compounds bacteria has to work with, the less volatile sulfuric compounds it can produce. Make sure to brush in the morning following breakfast to improve your breath for the rest of the day.

To find out more or schedule your next dental appointment, call North Eugene Family Dental, your Eugene, OR family dentist today!

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It’s Not Their Fault! Why Your Spouse Has Stinky Morning Breath

Few simple pleasures in life compare to waking up next to the person you love. Starting a new day next to someone with whom you intend to grow old is sheer happiness.

Until you smell their morning breath.

But don’t blame your loved one. The stinky breath you smell every morning might not be his or her fault. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, up to 80 million people suffer from halitosis, which stems from a variety of sources. Here’s a look at what causes halitosis—and how you can fix your loved one’s morning breath.

Sleeping Habits

Most notably, morning breath can be attributed to lack of saliva. Those who snore or breathe through their mouths have a higher chance of developing bad breath by the morning due to dry mouth, which allows bacteria to flourish. Essentially, any time saliva is reduced, the mouth’s ability to fight the bacteria that causes bad breath is compromised.

Eating and Drinking Habits

Food is one of the biggest morning breath culprits. Garlic and onions are the most common triggers, alongside coffee and alcoholic beverages. If your spouse eats or drinks these acidic, pungent foods before retiring for the night, there’s a good chance he or she will wake up with not-so-great breath in the morning, even after brushing and flossing.

So, why is this the case? Essentially, acids in food get absorbed by the body. Their smells are then expelled through the act of breathing, so when you eat something pungent, you can guarantee those scents will come right back out.

Coffee and alcohol dry out the mouth and allow bad-smelling bacteria to grow. That, in addition to the normal sleeping cycle that usually entails mouth breathing, leaves a not-so-fresh flavor come the morning.

Other Causes

Poor dental hygiene is another major cause behind halitosis. If your partner isn’t as diligent as he or she should be with brushing and flossing before bed and in the morning, the mouth can become a fertile growing field for bacteria.

Additional causes of halitosis include:

• Smoking and chewing tobacco
• Medications that dry out the mouth
• Not drinking enough water, which can lead to dehydration

In some cases, bad breath can be caused by serious medical conditions, including diabetes, cancer, sinus and respiratory infections and allergies.

Cures for Morning Breath

While the list of bad breath causes is extensive, the list of remedies is equally as long.

Abstaining from acidic food and drinks and avoiding tobacco is a great first step, but that may not be enough. Not to worry—you can still help kiss morning breath goodbye by making sure to follow these other oral care tips:

• Visit the dentist regularly. Checkups help keep your mouth free of plaque and bacteria.
• Brush and floss at least twice a day. Brushing and flossing helps get rid of plaque, bacteria and food particles, all causes of bad breath.
• Keep your tongue clean. Many people don’t realize that a tongue-scraper can be a powerful tool in the battle against bad breath.
• Hydrate. Drinking water and staying properly hydrated will help keep your mouth from drying out.

And if all else fails, keep some breath mints on the nightstand and put one in your spouse’s mouth before that morning kiss.

What’s the deal with morning breath?

You wake up from a long, good night’s sleep and stretch your arms, blinking as rise and adjust to the sunlight beaming through the window. You let out a big yawn. And your breath is far from a breeze of morning dew.

You can also waken from a daytime nap with a foul-tasting mouth.

But why do we get a bad taste in our mouth after sleeping in the middle of the day?

Scientists know the answer and can even recommend a way to ensure better breath when you wake up after all that crazy partying.

Spit

“It’s got something to do with spit,” explains Alix Young Vik.

Alix Young Vik has conducted research on halitosis.(Photo:UiO)

She is a professor at the Department of Cariology and Gerodontology at the University of Oslo’s Faculty of Dentisty.

Some of Vik’s research has been focused on halitosis – bad breath – and saliva.

Around 90 percent of all cases of bad breath have their origin in the mouth.

“Chewing and eating stimulates salivation and one of the functions of spit is to cleanse the mouth of elements that can give us bad breath,” says the professor.

Open mouth

Close encounters with morning breath. (Photo: Colourbox)

Vik says she hasn’t seen any studies indicating a reduced production of spit after just a couple hours of sleep.

“But if you sleep with your mouth open you can get a dry mouth,” she points out.

Dry mouths don’t get cleaned, which is why we get the bad taste in our mouths.

“This said, there isn’t much of a connection between what you taste and what your breath is like,” asserts Vik.

So that bad taste on your tongue isn’t necessarily polluting the air around you.

“But there can be a connection,” she adds.

But what is it that causes the smelly breath you can end up with after a long night’s sleep?

Carb-crazy bacteria

Vik explains that mouth bacteria primarily live on carbohydrates.

We don’t eat or drink while sleeping so the mouth bacteria have trouble finding nourishment.

They are compelled to go on a low-carb diet every night and have to switch to proteins, which are prevalent in our mouth.

“Our mucous membrane cells for instance contain proteins and the bacteria also find proteins in our spit,” the researcher explains.

The bacteria break down the proteins, and when something decomposes you get a residue or bi-product, in this case sulphur gasses.

“Hydrogen sulphide is the most common sulphur gas created in our mouth. It’s what makes rotten eggs smell as they do,” explains Vik.

Our saliva cleans the mouth in the course of the day but at night our spit production is low and the gasses can waft more freely

What’s the point in morning breath?

The researcher doubts that bad breath after sleeping has any practical natural function but the causes of it are useful.

“It would be pretty hard for us to sleep if we were producing spit as prodigiously at night as we do in the day, forcing us to swallow all the time,” says Vik.

Does this happen with all people?

“In general we all have bacteria in our mouths that can do this, so we all get our share of bad breath. ”

“People with the gum infection gingivitis tend to have bigger problems with bad breath because there are more proteins fuelling the process,” says Vik.

Disease and age

Bad breath has nothing to do with age she says, but there is one thing that can increase camel breath among older people.

“Quite a few medicines reduce salivation and because so many elderly use medicines this can affect their breath,” she says.

You can also get a nasty taste in your mouth when you have a cold. Vik explains why:

“The bacteria are feasting on the mucous that runs from your sinuses to the back of your throat, breaking down the proteins in the snot so that once again you are getting sulphur gas production in your mouth,” she says.

The researcher’s advice for better breath

Groucho Marx is credited with the one-liner: “I wasn’t kissing her. I was just whispering in her mouth.”

Toothpaste ads often emphasize a product’s advantageous effects on your breath, sometimes hammering it home with a photogenic couple confidently puckering to kiss. Indeed, brushing your teeth and kissing do make a good match.

“It’s important to keep your teeth clean, and significantly, your tongue too,” says Vik.

The researcher also advises against skipping meals.

“Breakfast is especially important for stimulating the production of spit and it feeds carbohydrates to the bacterial flora.”

“You can also use mouthwash against bad breath but it should be unnecessary unless you have a persistent problem,” asserts Vik.

Water with your wine

When you wake up after partying the night before, you often have a cotton-mouth. Your tongue is like sandpaper and the fragrance of your breath is probably far from fresh.

This might be partly due to that kebab you ate on the way home, before falling into bed without undressing or brushing your teeth, but alcohol also has a more direct role.

“You can hardly expect to get more spit from drinking alcohol,” says Vik.

Alcohol has a tendency of drying out your mucous membranes. You probably also are dehydrated if you haven’t been smart about downing some water between each drink.

A glass of water between each drink is a good remedy for reducing hangovers, but it’s also advisable if you plan to wake up with someone next to you who you plan to breathe on.

The stomach has little impact

Your stomach can have an effect on your breath the next day. But in general your stomach doesn’t have much impact on your breath. Here too, alcohol can have an effect.

So says Idar Lygren who is a chief physician at the Department of Gastroenterology at the Ullevål University Hospital in Oslo.

“Alcohol hampers the body’s ability to empty the stomach. When you wine and dine you increase the amount of food residue in your stomach, which after a while can develop into bad breath.”

Most of us have also experienced that only drinking non-alcoholic beverages with meals is no guarantee against bad breath.

“Garlic, onions, strong cheeses, tobacco and coffee can all give leave a bad taste in the mouth and give you halitosis, but this is temporary,” says Lygren.

Gas or no gas

Medical researchers aren’t sure how bad smells from your stomach make their way to your mouth.

“Odours could rise through the oesophagus from the stomach. It’s debated whether bacteria in the stomach can create gases that cause bad breath but we don’t know enough about that to reach any conclusions,” says Lygren.

However, the chief doctor doesn’t think the stomach has an effect on the taste in your mouth after a teetotaller’s night of sleep.

—————————————————————————

Read the article in Norwegian at forskning.no

Translated by: Glenn Ostling

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Bad Breath Causes, Treatments, and Prevention

Bad breath, medically called halitosis, can result from poor dental health habits and may be a sign of other health problems. Bad breath can also be made worse by the types of foods you eat and other unhealthy lifestyle habits. You can take steps to prevent and treat halitosis, at home and with the help of your dentist or doctor.

How Does Food Affect Breath?

Basically, all the food eaten begins to be broken down in your mouth. Also, foods are absorbed into your bloodstream and move to the lungs, affecting the air you exhale.  If you eat foods with strong odors (such as garlic or onions), brushing and flossing — even mouthwash — merely cover up the odor temporarily. The odor will not go away completely until the foods have passed through your body. Other common foods that can cause bad breath include:

• Cheese
• Pastrami
• Certain spices
• Orange juice or soda
• Alcohol

Likewise, dieters who don’t eat often enough can have bad breath. When your body breaks down fat, the process releases chemicals that can give your breath an unpleasant smell.

Why Do Poor Habits Cause Bad Breath?

If you don’t brush and floss teeth daily, food particles can remain in your mouth, promoting bacterial growth between teeth, around the gums, and on the tongue. This causes bad breath. Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) from poor dental hygiene can also cause bad breath.

In addition, odor-causing bacteria and food particles can cause bad breath if dentures are not properly cleaned.

Smoking or chewing tobacco-based products also can cause bad breath, stain teeth, reduce your ability to taste foods, and irritate your gums.

What Health Problems Are Associated With Bad Breath?

Persistent bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth may be a warning sign of gum (periodontal) disease. Gum disease is caused by the buildup of plaque on teeth. Bacteria cause toxins to form, which irritate the gums. If gum disease continues untreated, it can damage the gums and jawbone.

Other dental causes of bad breath include poorly fitting dental appliances, yeast infections of the mouth, and cavities.

The medical condition dry mouth (also called xerostomia) also can cause bad breath. Saliva is necessary to moisten the mouth, neutralize acids produced by plaque, and wash away dead cells that accumulate on the tongue, gums, and cheeks. If not removed, these cells decompose and can cause bad breath. Dry mouth may be a side effect of various medications, salivary gland problems, or continuous breathing through the mouth. In fact, morning breath is worse for people who sleep with their mouths open.

Many other diseases and illnesses can cause bad breath, including:

What Can I Do to Prevent Bad Breath?

There are some quick and easy ways to banish bad breath. Just remember, the odor from what you eat can stick around until the food works its way completely out of your system — up to 3 days later!

Bad breath can be reduced or prevented if you:

• Practice good oral hygiene. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove food debris and plaque. Brush teeth after you eat (keep a toothbrush at work or school to brush after lunch). Don’t forget to brush the tongue too, or use a tongue scraper. Bacteria on your tongue can contribute to bad breath. If you can’t brush after a meal, give your mouth a good rinse with water to at least loosen up and free those trapped bits. Replace your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months or after an illness. Use floss or an interdental cleaner to remove food particles and plaque between teeth once a day. Rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash twice a day. Antiseptic mouthwash can help kill bacteria that cause bad breath and plaque that can lead to gingivitis, an early, mild form of gum disease. Adding a fluoride rinse to your daily routine can help prevent tooth decay. Dentures should be removed at night and cleaned thoroughly before being placed in your mouth the next morning. Clean braces and retainers as directed by your dentist.
• See your dentist regularly — at least twice a year. They will do an oral exam and professional teeth cleaning and will be able to find and treat periodontal disease, dry mouth, or other problems that may be the cause of bad breath.
• Stop smoking and chewing tobacco-based products. Ask your dentist for tips on kicking the habit.
• Drink lots of water. This will keep your mouth moist. Chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugarless candy also stimulates the production of saliva, which helps wash away food particles and bacteria. Gums and mints containing xylitol are best.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables and less meat. Apples, carrots, celery, and other hard fruits and vegetables help clear odor-causing plaque and food particles from your mouth.
• Keep a log of the foods you eat. If you think they may be causing bad breath, bring the log to your dentist to review. Similarly, make a list of the medications you take. Some drugs may play a role in creating mouth odors.

Who Treats Bad Breath?

In most cases, your dentist can treat the cause of bad breath.

If your dentist determines that your mouth is healthy and the odor is not of oral origin, you may be referred to your family doctor or to a specialist to determine the odor source and treatment plan. You can go over a list of your medications with them to see if any of them could be contributing to the problem. Work with them to keep diabetes, allergies, and other conditions under control.

If the odor is due to gum disease, for example, your dentist can either treat the disease or refer you to a periodontist, a dentist who specializes in treating gum conditions.

What Products Can I Use to Eliminate Bad Breath?

An antiseptic mouthwash can help eliminate bacteria that cause bad breath. For dry mouth, your dentist might recommend artificial saliva. Ask your dentist about which product is best for you.

90,000 Bad breath causes and treatment

Bad breath occurs in everyone after sleep and quickly disappears – just brush your teeth. But sometimes, after just a few minutes, the breath becomes stale again. Why there is bad breath and what is its danger – we will tell in this article.

Why there is an unpleasant odor

Persistent bad breath is called halitosis. It is caused by anaerobic bacteria that live in plaque.These microorganisms give off a gas that has a very unpleasant odor, which makes our breath stale. Moreover, the more bacteria there are in the mouth, the more unpleasant breathing becomes.

Ideal environment for the growth of microorganisms – food particles stuck in the interdental spaces and plaque that accumulates quickly in the gum area for two to three days. Over time, it mineralizes and turns into tartar, bacteria begin to colonize it. Now, even if you brush your teeth with an electric brush and use an irrigator, you will not be able to completely get rid of bad breath on your own, since only a hygienist can remove tartar.

Bad breath can also be caused by:

• caries
• periodontal tissue diseases
• Poor adhesion of crowns
• Drying of the oral mucosa due to diseases of the salivary glands
• Difficulty teething wisdom teeth
• dentures
• inflammatory diseases of the throat
• gastrointestinal diseases
• metabolic disorder

Therefore, if you brush your teeth well, but the unpleasant odor still remains, then it is better to seek help from a dentist.He will find out what is the reason for the appearance of halitosis, and, if necessary, will attract specialists from other medical fields to the treatment.

Bad breath can occur in both adults and children. The causes of halitosis are not related to age, but usually bad breath in a child occurs due to inflammation of the mucous membrane or due to pieces of food stuck in the carious cavity. If you notice that your child has bad breath, it is best to visit the dentist.

Three ways to check for bad breath

• Lick your wrist and sniff. This is how the front of the tongue smells, and at its root the “aroma” is usually much more intense.
• Take a spoon, lick it several times and smell it. It will leave saliva on it, and it smells like your breath.
• Exhale into the mirror and immediately inhale deeply through your nose. The smell that you felt is felt by others when communicating with you.

If you have bad breath, see your dentist for help. The doctor can help you figure out the cause of bad breath and get rid of it.

How to get rid of bad breath

Halitosis is not masked by the aroma of gum or peppermint. To get rid of the unpleasant odor, you need to reduce the number of bacteria. This can be done only by removing tartar and plaque.

How to eliminate bad breath

• Clean the interdental spaces with a floss and an irrigator.
• Clean the tongue with a special brush, paying special attention to its root.
• Drink at least 2 liters of clean water per day.
• Visit your dentist regularly.
• Undergo a professional hygiene procedure once every six months.

If you urgently need to freshen your breath, you can use special rinses or infusions of peppermint, string and caraway seeds. There are also aerosol fresheners and special lozenges.True, the effect will be temporary and the smell will return very quickly.

Bad breath: treatment

In 80% of cases, bad breath occurs due to dental diseases – caries or periodontitis. Therefore, it is better to start the treatment of halitosis with a visit to the dentist. He knows how to quickly solve the problem and regain freshness of breath.

Specialists of the Edental dental clinic network will carefully examine the oral cavity, diagnose and eliminate the cause of bad breath, as well as give recommendations for home care.

90,000 Why does the mouth smell bad in the morning

When we sleep, most of the processes occurring in our body are suspended or slowed down, including the work of the glands that produce saliva. It is a very important factor in the fight against bad breath. The high oxygen concentration in saliva kills anaerobic bacteria. It also helps break down food particles and remove them from the mouth when swallowed. During sleep, the volume of saliva produced decreases, which means that it washes less in the oral cavity and saturates it with oxygen.

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How to get rid of bad breath

It is not difficult to eliminate bad breath in the morning. Just drink some water, have breakfast, and then floss, brush your teeth as usual, and rinse your mouth with your favorite mouthwash. But after all, many of us would like the unpleasant smell not to cause inconvenience already at the moment of awakening. A few simple rules that you should follow regularly will help to achieve this effect.

Prevention

To avoid bad breath in the morning, make sure your mouth is thoroughly cleaned of all food debris before bed.Food particles are a breeding ground for bacteria. Bad breath is a volatile sulfur compound that results from the anaerobic respiration of bacteria. Therefore, it is necessary to create an unfavorable environment for them. Bacteria that cause bad breath are most comfortable in an acidic environment, but an alkaline environment inhibits their growth.

These two basic rules will help prevent bad breath: thoroughly removing food debris and creating an unfavorable environment for bacteria.

Use toothpicks, brushes, tongue cleaners and mouthwashes

Of course, we have known these funds for a long time. Using a toothbrush, floss, and cleansing the tongue are major factors in combating food debris in the mouth. Take your time, follow all procedures carefully. If you’re constantly running out of time to clean your mouth well before bed, it’s no surprise that bad breath bothers you every morning.

Take care of oral moisture

Dry mouth stimulates the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath, so care must be taken to keep the mouth moist during sleep.Here are some ways to help increase the amount of saliva in your mouth.

Try not to breathe through your mouth. This breathing will dry out your mouth faster. Dust, various allergens and other small particles that settle in the cavity also contribute to bad breath. It is difficult to control your breathing and force yourself to breathe through your nose while you sleep. Therefore, before you go to bed, make sure that your nasal passages are clear and your breathing is free. For many people, mouth breathing is caused by nasal congestion.

Rinse your mouth more often. Even if you just get up in the middle of the night to drink water, hold it in your mouth for a little and rinse it before swallowing.

Four Myths About Bad Breath

• Claudia Hammond
• BBC Future

October 29, 2017

Photo By, iStock

Correspondent BBC Future has studied both bad scientific evidence and misconceptions bad breath and prepared some tips and tricks for you… revelations.

One day, many years ago, when I was just starting out on radio, I walked into the newsroom to get a new assignment. I was asked to go to a clinic where I helped those people who wanted to get rid of bad breath.

The clinic had to check my own breath for an unpleasant odor, after which I had to interview a doctor.

On the way to the clinic, I wondered if this was a trick on the part of my colleagues, who were simply embarrassed to tell me the truth in my face?

Fortunately, my breathing turned out to be all right then.However, bad breath is a fairly common problem, and the myths that have formed around it do not help at all.

MYTH 1: YOU CAN DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR MOUTH SMELLS BY BREATHING INTO FOLDED PALS

The problem with this method is that breathing in the palm of your hand does not give the same odor that comes from your mouth when you are talking.

You won’t feel as much as your breath actually smells. The main place where the bad smell comes from is the back of the tongue, and doctors have three ways to identify this problem.

Using their own sense of smell, they evaluate the patient’s breathing 5 cm from his face and the smell from a spoon, which was held over the surface of the tongue.

In addition, they are examining dental floss, which was brushed between the back teeth, or a container of patient saliva, which was kept in an incubator at 37 degrees Celsius for five minutes.

Photo Credit, iStock

Photo Caption,

To get rid of bad breath, it is advisable to regularly brush your teeth – even for dogs

Hospitals may also have small monitor monitors that can detect certain gases, but the problem is that they not all gases are detected.

The precision method is gas chromatography, which recognizes the components of complex gas mixtures and measures the amount of sulfur in the air. But it requires special equipment, which is not available in every hospital.

In fact, not everyone who thinks they have bad breath actually has such a smell.

Sometimes people simply misinterpret the behavior of their interlocutor, who turned away or moved away during a conversation.

In actual cases of halitosis (a term that summarizes all conditions in which a person’s breath has a persistent unpleasant odor), people do not react in this way.

In one study, it was found that only 27% tend to move away from the interlocutor if they have a bad breath.

It is not known exactly what proportion of people have this unpleasant problem. Data ranges from 22 to 50%.

MYTH 2: IF YOU HAVE AN UNPLEASANT SMELL FROM YOUR MOUTH, IT IS A SIGN OF ANY DISEASE

Volatile sulfur compounds give bad breath.The most unpleasant of these are carbon sulfide, which has a pronounced rotten egg smell, and ethanethiol, which smells of rotting cabbage.

It is these compounds that give some people’s urine a pungent odor after eating asparagus.

These compounds are released when food and bacteria accumulate in the grooves at the back of the tongue.

The good news is that this phenomenon is usually temporary and only occurs if you have eaten garlic or raw onions, or after coffee or cigarettes.

Photo by, iStock

Photo caption,

Cleaning the tongue helps to eliminate the smell for a while, but it must be done very carefully

However, in seven out of ten cases, dental problems, such as gum disease or plaque on the tongue, are the cause of halitosis.

Of course, sometimes bad breath can accompany other diseases, such as diseases of the ear, nose and throat, kidneys, lungs or intestines.

But in this case, you will most likely experience other symptoms as well.

MYTH 3: A MOUTH RINSING FLUID WILL ALWAYS HELP YOU GET RID OF UNPLEASANT ODOR

The first thing many people do if they suspect they have bad breath is to rinse their mouths.

Rinse with mint or clove scent, as well as various antiseptic products, hide the smell, but only for a short time.

They eliminate bacteria that cause the release of malodorous compounds. And it’s really effective for a certain amount of time.

Rinses containing alcohol dry out the mouth, which can only increase the odor.

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Photo caption,

Some remedies only work for a short time

This is why drinking more water throughout the day has a positive effect: water washes away food and prevents dry mouth.

The UK branch of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international non-profit health technology research organization, is currently reviewing research on effective treatments for halitosis.

In a previous survey in 2008, five top studies showed that rinses containing antibacterial agents such as chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride and chloride or zinc dioxide can partially eliminate odor.

But the reviewers noted that more research is needed to confirm these findings.

To eliminate the unpleasant odor, it is also advised to clean the tongue with a special brush. The last Cochrane review just showed that the effect of such a purge really is, but it is short-lived.

Researchers also warned that when brushing the tongue, do not press too hard on the brush to avoid damaging its surface. And it is best to choose a soft brush.

MYTH 4: YOU HAVE BACTERIA IN YOUR MOUTH – WE NEED TO GET RID OF THEM

Every adult’s mouth contains from 100 to 200 types of bacteria at some point.

Now that we have realized the positive role of the human microbiome and millions of bacteria in our body, scientists began to research not ways to destroy microbes, but the creation of the most healthy combination of them.

This requires eliminating some bacteria and supporting others, which can be achieved with probiotics.

Photo author, iStock

Photo caption,

There are really a lot of bacteria in the mouth, but not all of them are harmful

In the course of research, scientists tried to get rid of harmful bacteria that cause caries using a gel and a coating for teeth that were applied in the clinic, as well as special strips that patients could use on their own.

Perhaps soon we will be able to get rid of bacteria that cause bad breath in the same way.

But while the researchers are working on this, doctors, as before, advise you to thoroughly brush and floss your teeth, drink plenty of water, do not smoke, eat a balanced diet, and if the first signs of gum disease appear, immediately consult a doctor.

To read the original of this article in English, visit BBC Future .

Bad breath in the morning: how to deal with halitosis

The ringing of the alarm clock pulls you out of the embrace of sleep, you rub your eyes, get out of bed and immediately feel this, alas, all too familiar smell from the mouth and a specific taste on your tongue, as if covered with a sticky film.Most likely, you have the so-called “morning breath”. It’s unpleasant, but not fatal, and it happens to everyone. Here are some ways to prevent and fix this problem.

This is a strange word “halitosis”

This is what doctors call bad breath. Its source, as experts explain, are usually bacteria that live in the oral cavity. Bad breath in the morning is just one type of halitosis. Food particles remaining in the oral cavity accumulate between the teeth, on the surface of the tongue and along the gum line.When bacteria feed on them, they release unpleasant-smelling substances.

Common causes of bad breath in the morning

Dentists consider dry mouth to be one of the main causes of stale morning breath. Saliva washes away food debris and odor-causing bacteria; during sleep, the production of saliva is noticeably reduced, and bacteria begin to multiply actively. Other common causes are smoking, unhealthy diet, oral diseases such as periodontitis, and even taking certain medications, Rospotrebnadzor experts say.

Prevention and elimination

Bad breath, whether in the morning or afternoon, should not become a habit in your life. To freshen up your breath, follow these guidelines.

• Quit Smoking: Quitting smoking will not only help you get rid of bad breath in the morning, but it will also bring unconditional benefits to your health.
• Stay hydrated: Drink some water before bed and keep a glass of water on your bedside table in case you wake up thirsty.
• Watch your diet: Avoid foods such as garlic and onions before bed. The same applies to coffee: drinking a glass of water will be healthier.

Of course, the main method of combating bad breath is good oral hygiene. In addition to toothpaste and a brush, you can use other remedies, including:

• Mouthwash: Use an antiseptic mouthwash designed to protect the gums, prevent gingivitis and eliminate bad breath.
• Tongue scraper: This simple and compact tool quickly removes bacteria and food debris from your tongue.
• Floss or tape (flos): Clean interdental spaces that are hard to reach with a toothbrush every day.
• Folk remedies: To freshen breath, chew a parsley sprig, mint leaf, or fennel seeds.

Bad breath can ruin the morning, and it should not become a constant companion of your awakening, just as bad breath should not accompany you during the day.To get rid of this problem, you must first of all pay attention to the care of your teeth and gums. Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss. Remember to visit your dentist every six months for a preventive oral examination and professional teeth cleaning. Your dentist can also give you additional advice on how to eliminate bad breath.

90,000 The top six culprits for bad breath

Bad breath (halitosis) can be a very uncomfortable symptom that embarrasses you when dealing with other people or intimate situations.This is why it is important to have a good understanding of the causes of halitosis. Below are six possible causes of halitosis and how to fix them:

1. YOU DO NOT CARE YOUR TEETH AND Gums AS FOLLOWS

Halitosis can be caused by bacterial plaque that constantly builds up on teeth, around teeth and between teeth. Bacteria break down food particles in the mouth, producing a foul-smelling gas that causes bad breath.

The best way to prevent this is to brush your teeth 2 times a day with a fluoride toothpaste and floss to remove plaque and food stuck between your teeth.

2. YOU MAY BE DEVELOPING GUM DISEASE

Halitosis may be one of the earliest signs of gum disease, as halitosis is caused by the same bacterial plaque along the gum line that causes bleeding gums. If left untreated, bacterial plaque can cause bleeding and swollen gums – symptoms of gingivitis. If left untreated, it can lead to more serious gum problems. See your dentist urgently.

To effectively combat gum inflammation and bleeding *, brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste such as Parodontac, which is specially formulated to eliminate far more bacteria than conventional toothpaste **.
* Yankel et al., 1993; Yankell and Emiling, 1988

** Removes more plaque, the main cause of bleeding gums, after professional cleaning of teeth in the dentist’s office and subsequent brushing of teeth with Parodontax toothpaste (excluding Parodontax Whitening) with a sodium bicarbonate content of at least 67%, 2 times a day, compared with regular toothpaste that does not contain sodium bicarbonate.

3. YOU ARE USING CERTAIN PRODUCTS AND BEVERAGES

Eating food with a strong odor, such as garlic, onions or spices, or drinking coffee or alcohol, may spoil your breath for a while. To avoid this, do not consume these foods or drinks.

4. YOU SMOKE OR EAT TOBACCO

Smoking cigarettes and pipes and sniffing and chewing tobacco can cause bad breath.Smoking can also lead to discolored teeth and increase your risk of developing gum disease. If you quit smoking, your mouth will be healthier, your teeth will be whiter, and your breath will be fresher.

5. YOU ARE ON A RADICAL DIET

Fasting and radical or low-carb diets can have the side effect of bad breath. This is because when fat is rapidly broken down, chemicals called ketones are released.They are excreted from the body along with exhalation, causing an unpleasant odor. You can get rid of this type of halitosis only by changing your diet.

6. YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE

In rare cases, certain medical conditions can lead to bad breath. One of these diseases is “dry mouth” or “xerostomia”, which occurs when the flow of saliva into the mouth is disturbed. Bad breath occurs because there is a lack of saliva, which moisturizes the mouth and helps flush out the bacteria that cause halitosis.

Bad breath can also be caused by gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, and upper respiratory tract infections. If you are concerned about bad breath, you should see your dentist or doctor.

90,000 Dog Breath: Causes and Treatment

Agree, it is not very pleasant to wake up in the morning from the affectionate licking of a pet, feeling that the beloved dog’s mouth stinks of rot. This kind of greeting procedure may well turn into torture.However, this phenomenon is not uncommon, many owners are even sure that this is quite normal, explaining the “amber” by the fact that their four-legged pet “just ate something.” However, more experienced owners know that a pungent odor can be a symptom of a dangerous disease, so they sound the alarm and ask the veterinarian questions: why does the dog have a breath, what to do in such a case?

Halitosis: what is it?

Halitosis is a veterinary term for a putrid smell from a dog’s mouth.The fetid “amber” from the mouth of our smaller brothers in 8 out of 10 cases does not mean a cosmetic problem at all associated with a violation of oral hygiene, but a serious pathology:

• dental diseases,

• disorders of the body systems,

• diseases of internal organs, for example, kidneys, liver.

The most common cause of halitosis is bacterial degradation in the mouth.If the dog is not sick with anything, then the microflora functions normally, inhibiting the reproduction of harmful microflora. And, conversely, if one of the systems malfunctions in the body, the microflora does not cope with its duties, which leads to the appearance of such an unpleasant symptom – halitosis. To eliminate it, it is necessary to identify the cause that has become a provocative factor. Appointment of adequate therapy is preceded by diagnosis, taking into account the age of the animal.

Problem in puppies

The appearance of a bad smell in puppies is most often associated with the process of changing teeth.If the puppy’s teeth fall out at the wrong time, or he has an incorrect bite, then these factors may well cause the formation of interdental gaps. This fact cannot be ignored in any case, since the gaps serve as a favorable environment for the reproduction of bacteria: food debris gets stuck between the teeth, which is the reason for the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

Another reason for the appearance of amber is difficulties with changing milk teeth: the molar already appears, and the milk one does not have time to fall out.This leads to the fact that the milk begins to rot. If this process is accompanied by damage and infection of the gums, then the healthy microflora changes to putrid, hence the unpleasant odor.

The reason may also be an injury to the oral cavity due to the puppy’s habit of gnawing everything that falls into its mouth – toys, sticks, the particles of which often injure the gums and get stuck between the teeth.

Main causes in adult dogs

Why does a dog smell like rotten meat? The older the dog becomes, the more likely it is that the appearance of bad breath is a sign of a serious illness developing in the body.

The most common reasons are:

1. Dental calculus. If you ignore this problem, then the growths that form at the gums will contribute to the destruction of enamel, and in the future will lead to tooth loss.

2. Gingivitis, periodontitis, stomatitis. They develop against the background of dental calculus. Signs: Red, swollen gums, foul-smelling sores, and necrotic areas.

3. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

4. Oncology, neoplasms in the oral cavity (epulis). Most often occur in dog breeds with a short (upturned) muzzle (boxers, bulldogs, etc.).

5. Diseases of the kidneys, genitourinary system (in old dogs over the age of 10 years). At the same time, the dog’s mouth (especially from saliva) smells strongly of urine.

6. Hormonal failure, thyroid and pancreas dysfunctions, diabetes mellitus.One can suspect the presence of these diseases by the specific smell of acetone from the mouth.

7. Diseases of the liver (cirrhosis), which are characterized by putrid or cadaverous breath. A similar symptom indicates that the liver tissue is dying and rotting.

8. Helminths. Severe helminthic invasion, as a rule, is accompanied by an unpleasant odor from the mouth, since parasites, getting into the intestine, literally clog it, while the food is not digested, but begins to rot.

9. Upper respiratory tract infections. The main symptoms will be cough, runny nose, fever.

10. Allergic reactions. This ailment has extensive symptoms and is accompanied by skin lesions, itching.

11. Injuries to the gums, oral mucosa, which can contribute to the occurrence of infections and inflammation.

It is not uncommon for a bad smell not to come from the mouth.The cause may be a blockage of the paraanal glands.

If there is no pathology

Bad breath in an adult animal does not always indicate that it has developed a disease. It has been proven that at risk are representatives of miniature breeds, such as terrier, miniature poodle. However, this problem can be avoided with proper oral care of your pet.

In addition, a putrid smell from the mouth can be present in dogs that have a habit of eating carrion found, usually this applies to representatives of hunting breeds.

Unpleasant odors can be caused by inappropriate feeding, in particular, eating foods enriched with protein, or soft canned foods, which impede the natural cleaning of teeth, but create a favorable environment for the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

This is how plaque builds up on the teeth. While it is still soft, it is quite possible to clean it at home by the owner on his own, but when it hardens, you cannot do without the help of a specialist.

May cause bad odor and chlorine-rich water.In this case, the pet will show signs of dysbiosis.

If a dog has a breath, then the most common cause of “amber”, not related to disease, is improper oral care. It is not enough for a dog to gnaw only bones and hard toys. He should have a special paste and a brush that will help not only refresh the oral cavity, but also create protection against diseases of the teeth and gums.

How to get rid of

Only after considering the factors that can cause bad breath in a dog, and establishing the cause that caused it, appropriate treatment is assigned to the pet.

In the presence of dental plaque, it is advisable to determine the correct feeding and introduce solid food products (carrots, apples, small bones) into the diet. This allows you to cleanse the oral cavity from soft formations, growths, plaque and food debris. This method has proven itself well, such as adding tomato juice or softened tomato to food. After two weeks, the softened plaque can be removed with a regular cotton swab. If tartar cannot be removed at home, it is removed with ultrasound in a veterinary clinic.If the enamel is damaged, the teeth are covered with a special gel or filled.

To restore the disturbed microflora, it is recommended to take a course of medications, such as Bifidumbacterin or Bifitrilak. In the presence of worms, treatment with anthelmintics is indicated.

The simplest preventive measures will help to avoid a putrid smell:

1. Teeth cleaning (at least once a week) with antibacterial paste.

2. Introduction to the diet of solid foods.

3. Regular examination of teeth and mouth, cleaning plaque at home or in the clinic.

4. Use of special treats with rawhide and enzymes to soften dental plaque.

5. Use of chewing rubber toys.

And, of course, it is necessary to remove from the diet sweet, flour, fatty foods, which often cause “amber” from the mouth of an animal.

90,000 where did he come from and how to say goodbye to him?

Halitosis may be persistent or occur from time to time. Anyone has experienced this condition at least once in their life, and for a quarter of the adult population, bad breath is a constant problem.

The insidiousness of halitosis lies in the fact that often its owner gets used to the smell and does not feel it himself. And the “educated” people around will not think about offending a person with stories about his stale breath.Meanwhile, it would be much more correct to tactfully hint about the existing problem. So you can get rid of the obstacle in communication, and in some cases – avoid a dangerous disease.

The opposite situation also happens – a person is aware of breathing problems, but instead of trying to eliminate the bad smell, he begins to carefully hide it. As a result, a person focuses more and more on his “defect”, on his personal life and does not think, tries to communicate less with others.So it’s not far from depression. In psychiatry, there are also cases when such behavior arose due to a non-existent smell invented by the patient himself (this condition was called pseudohalytosis).

As with any disease, with halitosis, one should not go to extremes, but realize that there is a problem and start working on its elimination. Indeed, contrary to popular belief, it is quite possible to cope with bad breath.

Where to “sniff out” the problem?

Most often, the cause of the unpleasant odor is in the mouth itself.The simplest case is that teeth and tongue are not cleaned often enough or thoroughly. Food debris is decomposed by bacteria that live constantly between the teeth, at the edge of the gums and on the tongue, and some of the products of this decomposition give the breath an undesirable aroma. By the same mechanism, odor appears in tooth decay and gum diseases such as gingivitis, periodontitis and periodontal disease. Tartar and dental plaque containing a large amount of bacteria smell bad. Insufficiently clean removable dentures can also be a source of odor.

Bad breath also occurs with dry mouth – xerostomia caused by diseases of the salivary glands, taking certain medications and even long breathing through the mouth (for example, with adenoids). With xerostomia, saliva does not sufficiently wash the oral cavity, which causes all the same putrefactive processes.

Everything is much deeper than

And what if the teeth, gums and tongue are healthy and cleaned “to shine”, but the smell is still there? Then you need to remember what you ate shortly before it appeared.Because onions, garlic and certain types of cheese, when digested, release sulfur compounds that are absorbed into the bloodstream and removed from the body through the lungs – that’s the smell for you. Well, the fact that smoking and alcohol also do not contribute to a pleasant smell from the mouth is generally a common truth.

Another common cause of halitosis is respiratory diseases. Inflammatory processes in the nose (rhinitis, sinusitis), inflamed tonsils (tonsillitis), bronchitis, bronchiectasis, as well as active tuberculosis, abscess and malignant neoplasms of the lungs are accompanied by tissue destruction.This will cause the exhaled air to smell of pus.

The gastrointestinal tract can also be a source of odor. With gastritis and gastric ulcer, as well as with diseases of the pancreas and bile ducts, the digestion of food and its movement along the gastrointestinal tract are disrupted. And poorly digested food, moreover, stagnant, does not at all flavor the breath. At the same time, often a person is also worried about the tongue coated with a bloom and a sour or bitter taste in the mouth.

A specific odor from the mouth in some chronic diseases may indicate the development of dangerous complications.So, the characteristic putrid smell in liver diseases means that the liver cells have ceased to cope with the neutralization of toxic products from the intestines. The smell of ammonia signals serious kidney failure, and the smell of acetone in diabetes mellitus signals the threat of a diabetic coma. By the way, fans of strict diets can also have bad breath because of too rare or monotonous diet. So, we have more or less figured out the reasons, and a natural question arises: “What to do?”

What to do

First, understand oral hygiene.You need to brush your teeth twice a day – after breakfast and before bedtime, making circular movements with an elastic toothbrush on all surfaces of the teeth. The tongue should be brushed along with the teeth – for this you can use a soft toothbrush or a special brush for the tongue.

It is better to choose a paste containing fluoride and calcium (this will help to strengthen the enamel of the teeth) and with the addition of antiseptic plant extracts (they will reduce the activity of bacteria and improve the condition of the gums). After eating, it is recommended to rinse your mouth with water and chew sugar-free gum for one to two minutes.If food gets stuck between your teeth, dental floss can help remove it.

It is also worth changing the attitude towards dentists – the days when the dental office was considered a branch of the Gestapo are long gone: both the equipment and the attitude towards the patient have changed.

If everything is in order with the oral cavity, but an unpleasant odor is still present, you will have to visit a general practitioner. He will diagnose, determine the likely cause and prescribe treatment. Thus, you will get rid not only of halitosis, but also of the disease that caused it.

Do it immediately

But what if the visit to the doctor is postponed for some reason, and you need to drown out the unpleasant smell right now? There are several options.

• Eat a crunchy apple or fresh carrot – they will clean the teeth from plaque, and the vegetable fiber they contain will “collect” some of the smelling substances in the stomach.
• To counteract the smell caused by eating something “wrong”, you can chew parsley, celery, dill, mint, tarragon, anise or fennel.
• To deal with the bacteria in the oral cavity, rinsing with infusions or decoctions of sage, calendula, chamomile, eucalyptus and other natural antiseptics will help. Freshly brewed strong tea has a slightly smaller, but undoubted effect.
• If halitosis has arisen due to digestive problems, intestinal sorbents such as polyphepan, enterosgel, activated carbon and others will help to cope with it.