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Causes of Morning Breath & How To Prevent It

Your morning routine probably hasn’t changed much in the last few years. Your alarm goes off, you hit snooze a few times, you roll out of bed, and you do a slow stretch to wake yourself up a bit. Then you lean over to kiss your partner good morning, and you notice their nose scrunch up a little.
Hey, at least they didn’t completely dodge your kiss! But if they did, would you blame them?

Morning breath can be a real struggle. But fear not – it is completely normal, and just about everyone has it (even your nose-scrunching partner).

Most of the time, morning breath is caused by dry mouth. It’s as simple as that. The saliva in your mouth is essential to clear away the bacteria that causes bad breath, and production of this saliva decreases when you sleep.

If you feel like your dry mouth and morning breath is getting out of control, there could be a few reasons why. That foul taste and the smell emanating from your mouth might be caused by a number of things:


You Have Poor Oral Hygiene

If there’s ever a good reason to brush your teeth, it’s this one. Bad breath is incredibly annoying, but an easy solution is to take better care of cleaning your mouth!

Without proper care for your teeth and gums, your mouth can become a breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria. It’s important to brush and floss regularly. What a lot of people forget is that you should also be using a tongue cleaner – if you see a white layer on your tongue, that’s all bacteria that contribute to your bad breath.

Lastly, as long as you’re visiting the dentist at least twice a year, they should be able to help keep your mouth in good shape.  

You Snore

Admit it – this is what’s really bugging your significant other!
In all reality, snoring or even just breathing through your mouth can make morning breath worse. Anything that causes dry mouth is a contributing factor to the odor, since these conditions cause bacteria to flourish in your mouth.
Sleeping on your side, as opposed to on your back, can reduce snoring and help with dry mouth symptoms. Practicing good breathing techniques by taking deep breaths through your nose during the day will also help prevent morning breath.

You Aren’t Eating Right

You might be overdoing it on the sugar a little bit, and that’s certainly a problem. But you might also be trying out an extreme diet, like intermittent fasting or low-carb diets. Both of these can do damage to your mouth, ultimately affecting your morning breath.

Maintaining a balanced diet by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help keep your mouth clear of any bacteria that could be causing bad breath. Making sure that you are getting all of the nutrients your body needs is important because of the way your body breaks down fats. Not giving your body what it needs will result in bad breath, among other health complications.

To prevent dry mouth and morning breath, there are a few additional things that you can do.

  1. Brush and floss before you go to sleep. Always!
    This can’t be reiterated enough. Taking good care of your teeth and gums is the first step to clearing up any kind of bad breath. Make sure that you get your tongue!
  2. Limit alcohol consumption
    Alcohol is a major culprit when it comes to dry mouth. It’s best to cut back on these drinks to prevent morning breath. When using mouthwash, try to choose one that is non-alcoholic.
  3. Keep a glass of water by the bed
    Rehydrating your mouth while you sleep is one of the best ways to prevent dry mouth, and ultimately morning breath. Keeping a glass on your nightstand for an occasional sip throughout the night will keep your mouth feeling fresh when you wake up.
  4. Limit tobacco consumption
    In general, cigarettes and other tobacco products leave a bad taste and smell in your mouth. The smell is incredibly difficult to get rid of. Limiting your consumption or cutting them out completely will significantly improve your breath.

Waking up with bad breath is enough to put a frown on your face. When you are done dealing with morning breath, there are a few things that you can do to prevent it. But if you have tried everything and you feel like your breath is not getting any better, book an appointment to see our team of dentists in Mission Viejo.

Here at New Generation Dentistry, our team of dentists is committed to helping you achieve a healthy and happy smile that you can be confident in!