Do you hide away in the morning hours?

Do you avoid conversation for the couple of hours after waking?

Does that have more to do with your mouth than it does with your mood in the AM?

If it makes you feel any better, morning breath is a problem that impacts everyone to some degree. Even those who don’t regular worry about bad breath can wake with a bad taste resting about their teeth and gums.

There are, of course, things that can make morning breath worse, such as certain medical conditions, many pungent foods, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use.

There are also measures that can be taken to improve the condition of your mouth in the early hours of the day.

• Avoid Dehydration: A dry mouth is far more likely to carry a foul smell because there is nothing there to wash away the bacteria responsible for bad breath. Of course, you aren’t going to set your alarm to get up and drink a glass of water, but you can help the problem by staying well hydrated during the day.
• Practice Proper Oral Hygiene: Brushing and flossing just before bed removes the food particles that bad bacteria feed upon, which means less risk of bad breath.
• Don’t Miss Your Tongue: Before you hop in bed, before you leave your toothbrush behind, make sure you attack your tongue. This is a breeding ground for bacteria, so be sure you are washing it away every time you brush. Bacteria can also be tackled with mouthwash.
• Eat Right: For once, ‘eat right’ doesn’t necessarily mean replacing your cookie with an apple. In this case, it means that you should eat foods that are not likely to add to your bad breath – garlic, onions, and jalapeños. For some, dairy is a contributing factor as well.

For more helpful hints, continue reading the full article.

Photo by: Big Yawn! / clickit07 / CC BY 2.0