We’ve all been there. You wake up from a night of beauty rest, wipe the sleep out of your eyes, take a big stretch and say good morning to your significant other and HOLY SMOKES WHAT ON EARTH DIED IN MY MOUTH. You swear when you went to bed your breath didn’t smell like a Taco Bell dumpster, but now your plants are dying and nobody wants to hold a conversation with you. So, what’s going on with that dragon breath, anyways? Let’s dive in.
Where does dumpster mouth come from?
Turns out, it’s probably not because you ate garbage in your sleep. Bad breath in the morning has more to do with the lack of saliva your mouth is producing when you’re sleeping. The drier your mouth is, the higher your chances are of getting nasty morning breath.
Things like breathing through your mouth, snoring, and using certain medications can also contribute to dryness, which can make morning breath even worse.
Is morning breath a danger sign?
Most of the time, morning breath isn’t anything to worry about (minus the embarrassment of an unsuspecting victim catching a whiff). But in some situations, unusually bad breath could indicate an underlying health problem. It’s often the first sign of gum disease, which is linked to heart disease and strokes. It could also be an indicator of an infection in your mouth, like an abscess or a gastrointestinal problem like GERD. Suffice to say, if you think your breath smells extra rank lately, talk to Dr. Tanya or your hygienist during your next visit to Cherry Hill Dentistry.
What can you do to improve morning breath?
If you’re craving that morning kiss and want to eliminate the chances of breathing hot dumpster breath on your partner, make sure to brush and floss carefully right before bed. Leftover food particles gives more food for bacteria to multiply in your mouth overnight. Dr. Tanya also recommends two or three minutes of brushing, a tongue scraper (FUN FACT: Over half of the bad breath bacteria grows on the tongue), and an alcohol-free mouthwash like Listerine Zero.
To schedule your next visit, call our office at 402-488-2383 or fill out our contact form.
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