Introduction
Bad breath is an unpleasant companion, which can frighten our fellow men. The fewest speak to us honestly about it, but then rather avoid the daily contact. Bad breath in the morning – often despite brushing one’s teeth – is a common problem in today’s world.
In addition to the odor-forming bacteria that settle on the plaque on the teeth, decay processes of caries are a potential source of odor. Especially in the oral cavity there are so many narrow places that bacteria have an easy chance to spread and do their mischief. In rare cases, however, the symptoms can also be caused by a bulge in the esophagus (“diverticulum”).
This helps best against morning bad breath
Since the development of bad breath is extremely complex, there are many tips that can help depending on the cause of the symptom. Especially in the morning after getting up the phenomenon is widespread. As salivation is lower at night than during the day and when mouth breathing and snoring are added, a dry mouth is often the cause of bad breath.
Alcohol or nicotine consumption in the evening also contributes to the dryness. For prevention, thorough dental care, at least twice a day, is essential. At least once a brush or dental floss should be used to clean the spaces between the teeth.
Additionally, the tongue can be cleaned. Since there are many dimples, the tongue is a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and often contributes to bad breath. Check-ups at the dentist’s allow caries and its degree of rottenness to be detected early on, so that bad breath can be prevented from appearing in the first place.
Foods that lead to bad breath should be avoided. These include coffee, beer, wine and protein-containing foods. A sufficient water supply of 2-3 liters per day removes the bacteria and thus reduces bad breath.
Bacterial growth is also inhibited by various types of tea. Green tea, aniseed and peppermint have a bactericidal effect. For in between also a chewing gum can be used temporarily for good breath, but the effect is often not of lasting duration.
That could be also interesting for you: Thus you fight bad breath successfullyThe dental care represents one of the most important aids for the removal of bad breath. Mainly harmful (pathogenic) germs cause plaque, to which food residues and various types of bacteria adhere over time. Through metabolic processes, decay processes are set in motion, which cause sulphur formation and cause unpleasant bad breath.
Here, removing the coating can already bring great progress and contain the odor. Therefore the teeth should be brushed at least twice a day for about 3 minutes with a toothbrush and toothpaste, and once with dental floss. To avoid bad breath, it is absolutely necessary to clean the tongue thoroughly.
Residues of saliva, food and cells can easily settle in the pits between the taste buds and be further decomposed by bacteria. Sulfur-containing compounds are then built up and cause the typical unpleasant odor. They can even temporarily cloud the taste sensation of salty and sweet.
Various tongue scrapers have been developed to remove this deposit. To use them, the tongue is stretched out far after brushing the teeth, the scraper is placed far back and pulled forward towards the tip of the tongue. This movement should be repeated several times, since most bacteria are found in the back third of the tongue.
In between, the scraper must be washed with enough water to ensure thorough cleaning. The pressure must be dosed correctly, otherwise the tongue may be injured. If an antibacterial toothpaste is used at the same time, the cleaner is particularly effective, since bacteria are additionally prevented from multiplying by the toothpaste.
The purchase of a new tongue scraper should be done about every 2 months, similar to a toothbrush.
- To neutralize morning bad breath, herbs with a very intense odor are particularly suitable. For this purpose, fresh parsley, chamomile or cloves should be taken in the mouth after brushing the teeth and chewed for several minutes.
- The effect is additionally intensified if the parsley is dipped in apple vinegar beforehand.
- Another remedy is lemon juice mixed with water, which is used for gargling.
This stimulates the flow of saliva, but can easily cause a burning sensation in the case of oral mucous membrane injuries.
- Olive oil also has an odor inhibiting effect. About 1-2 EL are drawn from one side to the other in the mouth for about 15-20 minutes, as is usual when drawing oil. In this way odour-forming bacteria are bound and, if used frequently, are permanently killed.
Then rinse the mouth with lukewarm water and brush the teeth as usual.
- Finally, you can also use baking powder. A rinse consisting of a glass of water and half a teaspoon of baking powder can be used to rinse in the morning and evening, thus balancing the pH value in the mouth. At the same time, plaque is removed from the tongue and pathogenic none is rinsed away.
A mouthwash is an antibacterial mouthwash, which is enriched with various odour-neutralising additives and is intended to make your breath pleasant by rinsing it around in your mouth.
Bad breath should not even occur with these solutions. However, if it is already there, they help to smell good from the mouth, especially for a short time. In addition to chemical compositions (Chlorhexamed), some people also swear by natural products that contain herbs.
With chlorhexidine-containing products, a brown discoloration of the teeth appears after a few weeks of use. Although this discoloration can be removed reversibly by cleaning the teeth, it is aesthetically very unattractive. However, it is problematic that in most cases no lasting effect is triggered.
This is also due to the fact that the cause is sometimes not in the oral cavity itself. In order to still smell good, the teeth are rinsed several times a day, so that side effects can occur. Regular visits to the dentist are very important for those affected.
The expert can quickly detect problems causing bad breath and eliminate the cause. The treatment is carried out according to the type of disease. If caries is the cause, it is removed and treated with a crown or filling.
If necessary, the process may even have progressed so far that a root canal treatment must be performed. In the case of more firmly established plaque and tartar or periodontitis, a tooth cleaning is carried out with subsequent pocket therapy if necessary. Timely treatment is important in all cases, as this way the progression of the disease can be detected and corrected at an early stage.
All articles in this series:
