Several recent studies suggest that changing your mouth microbiome can reduce the bacteria that cause morning breath. Specifically, administering probiotics like Lactobacilli was found to reduce halitosis by crowding out the spaces where the bacteria that produce malodor live.
Dry mouth might be the most likely cause. Throughout the day, saliva helps wash away bacteria from the mouth that cause bad breath. However, when you sleep, saliva production decreases significantly and contributes to the foul smell.
“Everyone has morning breath to some degree,” says Sally J. Cram, DDS, a periodontist in the Washington, D.C., area and a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. Here's the simple reason why: When you sleep, your mouth dries out. When your mouth dries out, odor-producing bacteria proliferate.
Everyone gets bad breath from time to time — especially after eating garlic, onions or other strong foods. But bad breath that doesn't go away (chronic halitosis) could mean you have an oral health issue or a condition that's affecting another part of your body. Halitosis is a symptom of many different conditions.
Another possible reason is our natural inability to actually smell our own breath, caused by an opening in the back of the mouth behind the soft palate, called the pharynx, which connects it to the nose.
In the journal Chemical Senses, researchers from Brown University (RI, USA) describe how the nose's sense of smell peaks in the evening, operating at optimum capacity just in time for dinner. But the nose is not an early bird; it operates with reduced sensitivity in the early stages of our daily circadian cycle.
Sleeping Habits
Most notably, morning breath can be attributed to lack of saliva. Those who snore or breathe through their mouths have a higher chance of developing bad breath by the morning due to dry mouth, which allows bacteria to flourish.
Keep water on your bedside, mints, gums, and maybe an apple to quickly freshen up your breath without leaving the sheets. Make sure you brush, gargle and floss before going to bed. To avoid bad breath, you must also regularly clean your tongue.
The Truth about Bad Breath: Halitosis can be Hereditary. For a long time, many people try to weed out food, spices, beverages and habits that makes the breath smell stinky. Some people, however, have it tougher, as it is something they are highly prone to in their entire life.
Body odor is caused by a mix of bacteria and sweat on your skin. Your body odor can change due to hormones, the food you eat, infection, medications or underlying conditions like diabetes. Prescription-strength antiperspirants or medications may help.
Dry mouth, periodontal disease, sinus infections and dietary choices can all contribute to halitosis, so it may be worth a trip to see the doctor or dentist.
Eliminating morning breath is possible if you practice proper dental hygiene. Brush, floss, clean your tongue and rinse with a non-alcoholic, antibacterial mouthwash or baking soda with water daily. Keep your dental cleaning appointments so any tartar buildup can be removed.
Specifically, saliva production decreases while you're sleeping, leaving you with dry mouth at night. Since saliva usually flushes out odor-causing particles, you're left with bacterial buildup that makes its presence known with its distinctive aroma.
Something like: "Hey, I've noticed often your breath isn't the best – is that something you're aware of?" should fit the bill. Unfortunately, there is no way around having this conversation, and it needs to be had sooner not later because this whole situation has become completely farcical.
It's possible to confront a friend or partner about their problem without being offensive. He or she may be slightly embarrassed at first, but he or she will be very thankful in the long run. Bad breath may be an embarrassing problem, but there's no reason not to break the news gently and respectfully.
Cavities and gum disease: Cavities in your teeth can provide a good hiding place for odor-causing bacteria. Because the bacteria are in hard-to-reach spots, removing them when brushing your teeth is challenging. These odor-causing bacteria can also hide in deep gum pockets due to gum disease.
In general, the sense of smell is strongest in the evening and weakest overnight and into the early hours of the morning. This reduction in smell sensitivity through the night may explain why odors generally do not cause people to wake up from sleep.
A bedroom can smell in the morning as a result of body odour, dust, moisture in the room, dirty bedding and a messy room. Poor air circulation at night makes unpleasant odours linger until morning. These smells can be avoided by regularly cleaning the bedroom and making sure to air it out every day.
During the day, the sun heats the air and it causes air to get mixed all over the place due to convection. This kicks up a lot of stuff and generally makes it smell worse. In the colder night, the air is stiller and thus cleaner.
Go take a shower, watch TV, read a book for a while. Then, collect the clothes and give them the sniff test, especially around the pit area and anywhere you sweat profusely. If you find an odor that is unpleasant, that might be an indicator that you have a body odor problem that is leaching into your clothing.
When bad breath is caused by oral problems, it usually smells like rotten eggs. This is caused by the breakdown of cysteine at the front of the tongue or on the gums. It's a sign of poor oral hygiene. More rarely, dental bad breath can be a fecal odor like odor from the gums or the top of the tongue.
The natural saliva that has so mysteriously seemed to vanish has a job to do: flushing bacteria and leftover food particles from your mouth. Without saliva to flush them away, the bacteria and debris start to break down, creating an unpleasant odor.
A person can treat morning breath or longer lasting halitosis by improving their dental hygiene. Brushing the teeth twice a day and cleaning in between them with dental floss or interdental brushes can keep mouth bacteria under control. A person can also use mouthwash to help clear bacteria out of the mouth.