How to Avoid Bad Breath in the Morning

Clean Your Tongue Regularly

If you are wondering what causes this problem and how to avoid bad breath in the morning, here is the answer.

Bad breath is caused by bacteria that grow in our mouth and coat our teeth, gums and tongue. The sulfur compounds produced by these bacteria are those that cause bad breath.

The rough surface of the tongue provides a perfect environment for these anaerobic bacteria to grow and breed, which consequently results in a white coated tongue and halitosis. That is why it is extremely important to clean our tongue regularly and on a daily basis.

Find a good tongue scrapper and include it into your regular oral hygiene routine. Apart from removing anaerobic bacteria, it will also eliminate food particles and mucus, which are ideal nutrients for microorganisms that cause bad breath.

Do not use a toothbrush to clean your tongue, for it will only help the bacteria go deeper under the tongue surface. Choose electric cleaners, vibrating devices or just normal tongue scrapers.

Stop Smoking

If you smoke, how to avoid bad breath in the morning will be a bigger challenge. The smell of cigarette smoke cannot be eliminated by toothpaste.. Smoking leaves chemical residue in the mouth that can interact with saliva to produce bad breath. It can cause the mouth to become dry, which also results in less saliva being produced.. Stop smoking !

Be Careful What You Eat

Avoid foods that cause bad breath. The most common ones, which everybody is aware of, are onion, garlic, cabbage and certain spices. However, there are other less known nutrients that can also cause halitosis in the morning, if consumed the night before or on regular basis.

Read below to learn about foods that you should eliminate from your diet and others that you should privilege, in order to prevent the embarrassing morning breath.

• Absolutely avoid alcohol. It will dry out your mouth and provide an ideal environment for the growth of the anaerobic bacteria.
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to keep your mouth moist and stimulate the production of saliva. Xerostomia, or dry mouth, is one of the main causes of bad breath.
• Reduce or eliminate refined sugar, because bacteria feed on it.
• Avoid eating foods high in proteins. Meat, fish, diary products and eggs may cause bad breath, due to the presence of proteins.
• Low-carb diets may lead to a health condition known as ketosis, a state in which your body is forced to burn fat instead of sugar. Ketosis causes bad breath and it is therefore recommended to include more high-carb foods in your everyday meals, in order to avoid halitosis.
• There are certain foods that can greatly improve the condition of your mouth and help you avoid bad breath. The best ones are fruits rich in vitamin C, which fight bacteria and prevent their overgrowth.
  Crunchy fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, celery and apples are full of fiber and they can be an efficient help in removing food particles from your mouth. They will also increase the release of saliva, which is known to be an effective antibacterial.

Herbal Tips to Avoid Bad Breath in the Morning

• Parsley, basil, cilantro and mint may help reduce halitosis, for they contain chlorophyll, the green pigment of plants, which neutralizes bad odors and acts as a breath freshener. When chewed and crunched, these herbs will also release essential oils, which will temporarily mask bad breath.
  You can also find chlorophyll in capsule form or as sublingual drops.
• Use peppermint essential oil to avoid bad breath in the morning. Pour 1 drop on your tongue or mix 2 drops with your toothpaste and brush your teeth with it.
• Make regular use of antibacterial essential oils to beat bacteria that cause halitosis. Mix them with your mouthwash (that does not contain alcohol), add them to your toothpaste or pour them into a glass of water to use as an antibacterial mouth gargle. Always carefully follow dosage recommendations and label directions.
  Here is a short list of good antibacterial essential oils that can assist in the treatment of mouth, teeth and gum diseases and problems:
  Tea tree essential oil (read also Tea Tree Oil benefits)
  Peppermint essential oil (read also Benefits of Peppermint Oil)
  Myrrh essential oil
  Sage essential oil
  Thyme essential oil
  Clove essential oil
  Cinnamon essential oil
  Remember that these oils should only be used to rinse your mouth and never swallowed!
• Sip 3 cups of green tea per day.
  Benefits of green tea in the field of oral health are widely known and greatly appreciated. It contains antibacterial compounds that fight harmful mouth microorganisms and help your breath remain fresh and clean.

Regularly floss, and brush, as well as making time to visit your dentist at least twice a year,

These are our tips  on how to avoid bad breath in the morning. Do you have any advice that you would like to share?