You rolled over and whispered, “Good morning.” He recoils from the gust of rancid breath you’ve unleashed across the pillow. Nothing ruins sleep like morning breath. And the problem is: Where does it come from? You brushed your teeth yesterday. You don’t have a stomach ailment. Why does your breath smell like a can of mackerel left open on a hot train?
Read on for six things to do to stop your morning, and the fastest way to fix it.
Of course, you open the toothbrush in your mouth for two seconds. But a piece of food left behind becomes bacteria bait.
“Bacteria feed on food particles left behind,” says NYC-based cosmetic dentist Dr. Brian Kantor of Lowenberg, Lituchy & Kantor, “and causes bad breath by releasing volatile sulfur compounds through anaerobic respiration.”
Translation: Bacteria eat the leftovers and throw up the rotten egg smell you wake up with.
So, if you have an important morning, be careful: floss, brush and use an antiseptic rinse. Don’t leave a crumb behind.
Stop mouth breathing.
The most important thing to know about morning breath: saliva is your friend.
“Saliva is high in oxygen, which kills bacteria,” says Kantor. “It breaks down food particles and debris, and removes them from your mouth when you swallow.”
The problem is, saliva production slows down while you sleep. And when you breathe through your mouth, you create a dry zone where bacteria thrive.
Fixes can be as simple as turning onto your side or stomach. Or maybe you need a decongestant. However you fix it, your closed mouth will be less sour in the morning.
If dry mouth is bad, then mouthwash is your friend. But it’s not the kind that accidentally keeps you coming back.
“Keep your mouth shut,” Kantor said. “Use plenty of water. And use a non-alcoholic mouthwash the night before because alcohol dries out your mouth—and that’s the last thing you want.”
Look for an alcohol-free version of any mouthwash you use. And, while you’re at it, don’t try to cure your morning breath by rinsing with vodka.
Besides loving a dry mouth, bacteria love acidic places to feed and multiply.
“Bacteria are more likely to congregate in an acidic environment,” says Kantor. “So what you can do is use baking soda in your mouth, because it’s a base.”
You’ll find baking soda in many dental products, and they all cut acid and help eliminate odor.
You floss, you brush, but you still wake up smelling like a bull mastiff. Turn your attention to your tongue.
“The tongue has a lot of surfaces where food particles can get lodged,” says Kantor, so you’ll want to use a tongue scraper and keep your tongue clean.
Also, in the morning, taking the toothbrush to the tongue is a quick way to repair any damage you’ve done during the night, or at least spread the minty smell of the toothpaste.
Finally, if you’ve had a day and you really want to kick your morning breath, hit it with a one-two punch: brush, then brunch.
Brushing, flossing and rinsing remove the root cause of bad breath. Eat something and start salivating. Think of it like turning on the faucet to flush the drain.
“Every time you eat, you increase saliva,” says Kantor. “Crunchy fruits and vegetables are the best. They stimulate the flow of saliva and mechanically clean the teeth and remove surface stains.”
Translation: an apple a day might not keep the doctor away, but one morning might just make you go back to sleep.