Honing in on the Causes of Morning Breath

The many factors that contribute to bad breath in the morning

“How do I get rid of morning breath” is probably one of the most common questions dentists receive. It’s certainly no secret that patients are very unhappy with having bad breath at any point in the day, especially after they feel like they have tried every trick in the book to freshen their breath.

Caused by many things, bad breath can also be caused by the types of foods we eat.  Decaying particles of food between our teeth and the foul-smelling Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs) released by harmful bacteria that inhabit the mouth.

How to Help Patients Overcome Morning Breath

There are many schools of thought on what might cause morning breath. Eating foods high in sulfur content is one way to spoil your breath for hours afterwards. Everyone knows – onion or garlic breath doesn’t simply brush away.

A Google search for an exact number of Americans who floss daily shows numbers ranging from only 2 percent up to 50 percent, so getting patients to floss to remove food particles from between teeth would go a long way toward improving morning breath.

Mouthwash – Helpful or Harmful?

Many patients who complain of morning breath note “I brush my teeth every night before bed, and I use a very strong mouthwash!”But sometimes the alcohol in mouthwash contributes to dry mouth, which, left overnight, can cause bad breath. Mouthwashes also tend to indiscriminately wipe out bacteria in the mouth, which can allow the bad bacteria a good opportunity to overpopulate while you snooze.Those bad bacteria tend to have an annoying byproduct, called Volatile Sulfur Compounds, which smell just as bad as they sound.

Perhaps the best way to keep morning breath in check is to introduce beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, into the mouth. These probiotics coat the teeth and around the gum line, competing directly with the stinky, morning-breath causing bacteria for tooth space and nutrients.

Simply allowing a probiotic mint to melt in your mouth after brushing your teeth each morning and evening can help minimize bad breath around the clock.