When you wake up in the morning and start talking to your partner, have they ever suggested you go and brush your teeth before you continue the conversation? Quite often people are unaware of morning breath as we often can’t smell it on ourselves.
The Causes
There are a number of reasons for bad breath.
Cause 1: Mouth Breathing
At night, mouth breathing dries out the oral cavity and inhibits the saliva’s natural function of flushing away bacteria in the form of dental plaque. This sticky dry plaque can consist of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. The anaerobic bacteria are generally found under your gum line and release Hydrogen Sulphides that create the strong unpleasant smell.
If you mouth breath and suffer from reflux there is a high chance that you are suffering from Sleep Apnoea. Snoring is another clue this could be happening although it is still quite common to have Sleep Apnoea if you do not snore. Talk to Dental Wellness about a referral for a home sleep study to eliminate this risk factor.
If you are found to have Sleep Apnoea there are a number of solutions. If you are stopping breathing for periods of time in the night then you are at a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. Your unpleasant breath could be a warning sign that, if heeded and acted on, could save your life!
Cause 2: Medication and Drugs
Certain prescription medication can have a side effect of reducing saliva flow, and there are a whole range of social drugs that can damage your ability to salivate at all. Talk to Dental Wellness practitioners about the risk and how to counteract this situation.
Cause 3: An unhealthy digestive system
An unhealthy digestive system can potentially lead to the reflux of digestive juices back into the mouth. Reflux needs to be counted out as this not only leads to bad breath but also high risk of acid wear on your teeth.
Simple Solutions
Slush your mouth with Coconut Oil
Slushing with coconut oil is another simple way to make your teeth and gums healthier. In the morning on rising hold the oil in your mouth and once it has liquified swish vigorously between your teeth and cheeks. The anti bacterial, anti fungal and anti parasitic effect of the coconut oil will pull out the bacteria residing under your gums.
After a couple of minutes; Spit the oil from your mouth into a tissue and discard in the bin. Never spit into the toilet or sink as coconut oil will solidify at cooler temperatures and block piping and definitely do not swallow it as it contains all the bacteria you are flushing out.
See your Dentist
A simple solution to resolving the causes of unpleasant smelling breath is visiting your dentist and hygienist for a full mouth assessment and clean. After this you can maintain the balance of the flora in your mouth by using a natural mouthwash in the evening and with routine brushing and flossing.
As the natural health industry’s preferred holistic dentist practice, dental wellness is aware of the risks of inflammation, infection and toxicity on the body originating from the mouth. We can help you rid your mouth of gum disease and infected teeth so you can say goodbye to putrid toxins and bad breath for good!