The Mystery of Morning Breath and How to Eliminate It

Posted on: October 22, 2018

How awesome would it be if you woke up with morning breath that smelled like crisp mountain air?

Believe it or not, there are people in this world who wake up with less than offensive breath. Once you understand what causes morning breath, you can take steps to make sure you wake up with breath that smells perfectly fine.

About morning breath

During sleep, the mouth becomes inactive, and this inactivity extends to the glands that produce saliva. As the mouth slows down its saliva production, bacteria stay in the mouth longer than they would during the day. This gives them the chance to multiply and produce smelly gases known as Volatile Sulphur Compounds (VSC).

The smelliness is very prevalent in people who breathe through their mouths when asleep. Mouth breathers get dry mouth, which is the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive and produce VSC gases. If a person chooses not to brush their teeth before bedtime, their morning breath can be noxious. However, not all morning breath has such simple origins.

Morning breath caused by systemic health issues

Like chronic halitosis, morning breath can be a symptom of illnesses of the respiratory and digestive systems. To get rid of this kind of morning breath, a person has to get the underlying condition treated.

Tips to prevent morning breath

Brush and floss at bedtime

A person may not be able to control the production of saliva, but they can make sure that oral bacteria have nothing to feed on during the night. Brushing and flossing remove their food source. Moreover, a person can go a step further and use an alcohol-free, antiseptic mouthwash to kill harmful mouth bacteria.

With no food for the decimated bacteria population to feed on, the same amount of VSCs will not be present in the mouth.

Avoid excessive alcohol and pungent foods before bedtime

Alcohol breath in the morning is potent. Onions and garlic are delicious, but no amount of brushing can remove their flavors from the body. As a person sleeps, pungent flavors and spices make their way from the body and back into the mouth.

So, waking up with onion breath after an onion-rich dinner is to be expected. Save this food for lunch.

Keep your mouth hydrated

Brushing before bedtime will make your mouth clean, but it will not prevent dry mouth.

A person should keep their mouth hydrated by sleeping with their mouths closed. This means finding a sleeping position that prevents the mouth from opening. If a dental or respiratory problem causes mouth breathing, then the person should see a dentist for the problem.

Another way to keep the mouth hydrated at night is to drink water during the night. A clean, well-hydrated mouth should smell good when the morning comes.

How to beat morning breath is an open secret

Keeping your mouth and body healthy is all that you need to do to wake up with fresh-smelling breath. That means keeping your airway and gut healthy while maintaining good oral habits.

No matter how clean you live, you can never ignore regular dental visits.

Are you considering treatments for morning breath in the Auburn area? Get more information at

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