If you’re unlucky enough to be one of the millions of people out there with a seemingly incurable case of morning breath…well, it’s safe to say you’re not alone! Not that this offers any kind of comfort whatsoever, but still – it always helps to know that you aren’t alone in your plight.
Morning breath is the kind of phenomenon which on the surface doesn’t seem to make any sense. After all, you’re simply lying there and doing nothing but breathing throughout the entire night, so how on earth is it that you are doomed to wake up stinking?
The answer is actually quite simple – you don’t produce nearly as much saliva while you are sleeping. Which in turn means that any bacteria in your mouth during the night doesn’t get beaten and battered into submission. Instead, it stays exactly where it is, builds up throughout the night and produces that unfortunate aroma the next morning.
As common a problem it may be, it can still be immensely embarrassing – not to mention highly unpleasant for those unfortunate enough to be laying right next to you. On the plus side, there’s plenty you can do to minimise or even eliminate the problem entirely – most of which is surprisingly easy to go about.
So whether it’s for your own benefit or everyone else’s, here’s a quick rundown of a few helpful hacks for starting each day at least a little fresher:
1 – Better Oral Hygiene
First and foremost, exactly how well you look after your mouth throughout the day will have an enormous impact on what happens overnight. Suffice to say therefore, investing in the best electric toothbrush of 2016 and taking things to the next level with the best value water flosser on the market represents a good place to start. There are so many people out there who believe that skipping brushing sessions before bed isn’t a big deal – they’ve no idea how wrong they really are! If you could actually see what was going on in your mouth during the night, you’d never miss a bedtime brushing session again!
2 – Avoid Onions and Garlic
Contrary to popular belief, it is fundamentally impossible to get rid of the smell caused by onions or garlic simply by brushing your teeth or sucking a mint. The reason being that when you eat garlic or onions, the rather intensive Sulphur compounds they contain don’t just go into your mouth and belly – they are also absorbed into your bloodstream. Which means that no matter how hard you try, there’s no getting rid of them until they disappear naturally. Suffice to say therefore, garlic and onions before bed are not necessarily a good idea.
3 – Skip The Alcohol and Coffee
As already mentioned a little earlier, it all comes down to the way in which your mouth becomes much drier than normal throughout the night that leads to bad breath in the morning. Which in turn means that anything that reduces saliva production and dries the mouth even further is exactly the kind of thing you should be avoiding. Unfortunately, both alcohol and caffeine tick this box in a very big way, meaning that both should be avoided in order to combat morning breath. Or if you have indulged, ensure you also drink plenty of water to compensate.
4 – Be Mindful With Mouthwash
While on the subject, you might like to know that the kind of mouthwash that is loaded with alcohol also falls into the same bracket as any alcoholic drink. In the morning, a strong and alcohol-based mouthwash can work wonders. In the evening however, the same mouthwash may be effective in killing bacteria and freshening your mouth for an hour or so, but will ultimately lead to reduced saliva production and a drier mouth. And by now, we all know this isn’t a good thing!
5 – Sleep With Your Mouth Closed
Admittedly, this is a rather difficult trick to master without outside help, but it can nonetheless be extremely effective. Still, if you can ask your partner (or a very willing friend) to keep an eye on you and gently encourage you to keep your mouth closed while you are asleep, your mouth will not become nearly as dry during the night.
6 – Keep Your Tongue Clean
By now, most people should be aware of the fact that the vast majority of the really nasty stuff in the average mouth is located on the tongue. The tongue is by all accounts pretty disgusting – especially if you do not make the effort to keep it clean. You don’t need to invest in any special apparatus or accessories to get the job done – your standard toothbrush will be more than sufficient if you actually care to use it properly!
7 – Drink Plenty Before Bed
And not only before bed, but throughout the day in general. Hydration is of the utmost importance when it comes to both looking after the health of your mouth and reducing bad breath in general. It’s a good idea therefore to ensure that you drink plenty of water during the evening. However, it may not be a good idea to gulp down several huge glasses of water right before getting into bed, as chances are your sleep will be disturbed by an urgent dash to the bathroom.
8 – Mints, Gum Etc.
Also beneficial can be chewing or sucking mints, gum and pretty much anything else that’s 100% sugar free and created with freshness in mind. Most such products do not have any direct impact on your teeth or mouth, but instead stimulate the production of saliva which helps keep your mouth moist, healthy and fresh. Just don’t make the mistake of going to bed with a mint or gum in your mouth, for obvious reasons!
9 – Use A Breath Spray
There are certain breath fresheners and sprays available these days that have a strong antibacterial effect that lasts for hours. They can be great during the day, but have the potential to be even more effective if used immediately before going to bed. Just be sure to choose one that actually kills bacteria, as opposed to simply masking bad smells.
10 – See Your Dentist
Last but not least, if you have tried and failed in every attempt to improve your morning breath situation, it may be worth speaking to your dentist about it. There could be an underlying problem that needs investigating, or it could be something relatively simple to correct that you yourself are unaware of.
